Computer-based method and apparatus for controlling, monitoring, recording and reporting telephone access

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for managing institutional telephone activity utilizing a computer-based telephony management unit to connect institutional telephones with outside telephone lines. The unit provides institutional users with fully automated, direct dial and collect calling privileges for local, long distance, and international calls. The unit contains a database for storing the calling privileges and restrictions of institutional users, for recording calling transactions made by the users, and for managing user monetary accounts. The unit can record up to 400 hours of conversation in a digital format. The unit provides various administrative capabilities, including user account management, audit trails, transaction reports, centralized management and report capabilities, and detection of fraudulent calling.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is filed as a continuation-in-part of application Ser.No. 08/904,784, filed Aug. 1, 1997 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,323), whichis a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/510,327, filed Aug. 2, 1995(now U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,013), which is a continuation of applicationSer. No. 08/229,517, filed Apr. 19, 1994, now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the fields oftelecommunications and penal institution management. More particularly,the invention relates to a computer-based method and apparatus forcontrolling, monitoring, recording, and reporting access to audio,video, and/or data signals entering a controlled, institutionalenvironment, such as a prison, military base, hospital, school, businessor government organization.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the need to control access to outside informationsources—i.e. via a telephone line—in an institutional environment iswell recognized. In order to prevent individuals from incurring large,unaccountable telephone costs which the institution ultimately bears,one must either restrict access to outside telephone lines or instituteaccounting controls whereby the costs of unauthorized calls can bebilled to the responsible individuals.

Telephone systems in correctional environments require additionalsecurity considerations. Without appropriate controls on telephoneaccess, inmates have been known to use the telephones to harass outsideparties (such as witnesses who testified against them, attorneys whoprosecuted their case, employees of the courts, etc.), to perpetratefraudulent schemes, and to participate in criminal conspiracies (such asarranging the smuggling of contraband into the prison, directing anoutside criminal enterprise, plotting escape attempts or credit cardfraud). Therefore, it is critically important for correctionalmanagement officials to carefully plan, control, monitor and recordinmate access to outside telephone lines.

One of the most fundamental problems—which exists both in correctionaland other business-oriented institutions—is cost control. To achievecost control, it is critical that there be individual accountability foreach call that incurs a charge to the institution. Such accountabilityis typically achieved through use of a personal identification numbers(“PIN”). Before making a call from an institution telephone, anindividual must enter his PIN. The telephone service provider is thenable to deliver to the institution an end-of-the-month telephone billwhich lists, in addition to the cost of each call, the PIN or name ofthe individual who made the call. From this information, the institutioncan then collect reimbursement from individuals for the costs of certaincalls.

While this system of end-of-the-month call accounting functionsreasonably effectively in a business like environment, it does not workwell in a penal institution. The reason is that inmates show littleconcern for phone bills they can't afford to pay. Thus, the institutionis often forced to absorb the costs of phone calls by its delinquentinmates. Moreover, the fact that account balances are only computedperiodically—i.e., every month, week, or even every day—permits theinmate to accrue large, uncollectible phone bills before his access tothe phones can be terminated.

Traditionally, penal institutions have addressed this problem byrestricting inmates to collect calls only. This, however, still providesthe inmates with relatively unlimited access to the outside world,leaving open numerous opportunities for fraudulent and criminalactivity, as explained below. Therefore, in a penal environment, it ishighly desirable to regulate phone access on an individual,pay-in-advance basis, and to immediately and automatically terminate anindividual's phone access when his/her paid-up account reaches a zerobalance. Another problem in penal institutions is the inmates' desire tomake threatening or harassing phone calls to witnesses, prosecutors,police officers, parol officers, psychologists, judges, and therelatives and family of such persons. Limiting the inmates' access tocollect calls only does not effectively address this problem, since aninmate can easily identify himself (to an operator) as someone from whomthe recipient would likely accept a collect call. Rather, one should, ata minimum, provide a means that permits a potential call recipient toidentify the caller as an inmate before accepting the call, whether thatcall is placed on a prepaid or collect basis. Conventionally, this isdone by initially placing the inmate on hold and playing a pre-recordedmessage telling the recipient that a call has been placed from acorrectional facility and that, if the recipient wishes not to receivethe call, he/she should hang up before the call is connected.

This approach mitigates, but does not fully solve, the harassmentproblem. In particular, it is still possible for an inmate torepetitively call an outside party; even if the recipient hangs up afterhearing the pre-recorded message, the harassing effect of receivingrepetitive calls from inside the correctional institution remains.Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide an institutionaltelephone system that automatically prohibits inmates from attempting tocall certain outside persons. Moreover, it would also be highlydesirable to provide a method and apparatus for allowing a recipient ofan undesired call from an inmate to easily and automatically prohibitall future calls from that particular inmate, or from all inmatesgenerally.

Still another concern in correctional institutions is the regulation ofaccess to telephone systems. For various security and managementreasons, it often desirable to restrict a given inmate's telephoneaccess to particular phones, calling times, and to limit the length ofcalls, number of calls, and number of calls to the same number. Also, toenhance security and discipline, it should be possible toinstantaneously revoke an inmate's calling privileges, or to otherwisemodify the extent of a particular inmate's calling privileges.

Correctional institutions also typically wish to monitor and/or recordoutgoing calls. Inmate-to-attorney calls, however, cannot legally bemonitored or recorded. Moreover, certain inmates—those who representparticular security risks—deserve live monitoring, as opposed to mererecording. Thus, it would be highly desirable to have a system whichautomatically initiates the appropriate monitoring and/or recordingdepending upon the identity of the inmate placing a call and therecipient of the call (i.e., attorney or non-attorney). Likewise, it maybe desirable that calls to certain numbers are to be monitored live,while others need only be recorded.

Because the message content of inmate-to-attorney calls cannot belegally recorded or monitored, such calls can serve as a conduit for theinmate's illegal telephone activity. Therefore, it would be highlydesirable to have a system which could passively—that is, without in anyway monitoring or recording what is actually being said—monitorinmate-to-attorney calls to ensure that: (1) the only two peoplespeaking on the line are the inmate and attorney, and/or (2) no DTMFtones, rapid line impedance changes, off-hook conditions or voltagespikes appear on the line.

The institutional phone system features identified above are well-knownin the penal industry and have been implemented in a fragmented fashionin a variety of analog and hybrid analog-digital systems. One example ispresented in Brown et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,261, entitled SELECTIVELYACTIVATED INTEGRATED REAL-TIME RECORDING OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS.Brown taught the utilization of a personal computer (“PC”) to interface,via a parallel port, to so-called “conventional” line control cards,wherein the cards were presumably installed as part of a Private BranchExchange (PBX) switching system. The system in Brown also included adigitizing board and disk storage, which connected to the PC via astandard ISA bus and which enabled the PC to digitize and record a call.Thus, Brown is an example of hybrid analog-digital systems, whichprovide analog PBX switching combined with digital control and/orrecording.

The system of Brown, however, has very limited application. The parallelport has a severely limited bandwidth; so small, in fact, that only avery limited quantity of phone lines can be accessed, monitored andrecorded at any one time. Similarly, the speech digitizing board appearscapable only of generating a single stream of output, and thereforeseems able to synthesize voice signals on only one phone line at a time.Unfortunately, the patent of Brown does not disclose how many phonelines may be monitored and recorded at any given time. Also, Brown doesnot disclose the actual techniques and physical means used to detectSIT's, rings, busy tones, three-way calls, additional DTMF digits, etc.Brown further does not disclose exactly how the digitizer is presentedwith an analog signal from the phone lines. Thus, Brown basicallydiscloses only the specific computer software modules, used in theGateway CPS-4000 system, which implement the basic database anddecision-making required to enable the disclosed hardware system toprovide event-based recording.

Another system which provided most of the above-mentioned features wasdisclosed in Gainsboro U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,013, entitled COMPUTER-BASEDMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING, MONITORING, RECORDING, ANDREPORTING TELEPHONE ACCESS. Gainsboro, similar to Brown, taught a hybridanalog-digital system, wherein the telephone line circuit interface wasprimarily analog. Analog line signals were interpreted via a DTMFreceiver, and analog modules for current and voltage detection of ring,tip, busy tones, etc, were included. Similarly, line signals weregenerated via a DTMF generator and a dial tone generator. Ultimately,the inmate subscriber line and the central office trunk line weredirectly physically connected to one another, with no delay or isolationbetween the inmate's telephone and the outgoing telephone line.

Similar to Brown, Gainsboro disclosed the use of a personal computer toprovide database, control, and terminal functions. Gainsboro alsodisclosed the use of remote, administrative terminals, which wereinterfaced to the personal computer via a standard multi-port serialcard. In addition, Gainsboro taught an interface of the analog linecards with an optional, stand-alone “voice message system”.

However, the system disclosed in Gainsboro had three major drawbacks.First, it did not provide integrated recording functionality; the systemwas only able to output record signals to a separate recording unit.Second, although the system of Gainsboro was computer-based, the systemwas very limited in functionality and required separate equipment toprovide phone line interfacing, recording, and voice messaging. Third,the output to the external recording units was implemented via analogswitches; when recording was initiated, an inmate would hear a click andknow that her call was being recorded. Thus, the system remained subjectto the limitations of hybrid analog-digital systems.

As the above discussion shows, there is a present need for an integratedsystem for managing institutional phone activity, which wouldincorporate all of the above features, avoid the problems of analogarchitecture, and build upon modern digital telecommunicationstechnology to integrate computer control and switching functions withinone functional unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the above, one object of the invention is a method ofmanaging telephone activity in an institutional environment to achieveimproved security and reduced cost. Another object of the invention is asystem adapted to perform such improved institutional telephonemanagement.

Another object of the invention is a method and apparatus for passivelymonitoring a telephone connection to detect security breaches.

Yet another object of the invention is an institutional telephonemanagement system wherein the parameters that control the operation ofthe system as well as the records of system activity are stored in acentral database, thereby permitting simple customization of systemoperation, generation of reports and monitoring of status.

A still further object of the invention is an institutional telephonemanagement system, wherein the system may communicate with a centrallylocated administrative facility for the purpose of archiving data andfor the purpose of providing central reporting and system maintenancefeatures.

Further, the systems of the present invention may be used in conjunctionwith conventional “truth” software which detects the harmonic levels ofvoice signal to trigger the various features of the system describedherein.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method of managingtelephone activity in an institution includes the steps of:

(1) receiving, on an in-house telephone line, a communication connectionplaced by institutional caller (the “calling party”), who wishes to callan outside recipient (the “called party”);

(2) identifying the calling party and the number of the outsiderecipient, and, optionally, the identity of the called party;

(3) verifying the calling party's account against predeterminedadministrative parameters, such as (a) whether the calling party ispermitted to place outside calls, (b) whether the calling party has anactive account, (c) whether the calling party is permitted to call thedialed number, etc;

(4) on a second communication connection via an outside line,automatically setting up the call which the calling party wishes toplace (i.e. a collect call or direct dial call), while the calling partyremains on hold on the first communication connection, by: (a) callingsaid outside recipient (called party), (b) providing the identity ofsaid institutional caller to said outside recipient and (c) receiving aresponse from said outside recipient; and (d) determining, based uponsaid response, whether to connect the institutional caller to theoutside recipient, and optionally, whether to indicate any of aplurality of messages to the calling party;

(5) providing the outside recipient with the option, via a voice promptmenu, of prohibiting any future calls from the particular institutionalcaller or, if desired, prohibiting calls from any person within theinstitution and/or related institutions;

(6) based upon the results of (4) and (5) above, connecting the callingparty to the called party;

(7) monitoring the coupled communication connection for any of thefollowing: (a) an indication that the parties have hung up, (b) anindication that the called party no longer wishes to receivecommunications from the calling party, (c) failure of the call tosatisfy any longer any of the administrative parameters (i.e.insufficient funds in account, maximum calling minutes per day exceeded,etc), (d) keywords which indicate that illegal or fraudulent activity isbeing transacted, or (e) other communication signals that indicate thatillegal or fraudulent activity is being transacted;

(8) optionally recording the communication connection, based uponadministrative parameters and the results of (7) above, without theparties having any indication of the recording; and

(9) monitoring, in real-time, the communication connection without theparties having any indication of the monitoring.

Any multitude of call prohibitions can be established as to anyparticular inmate by the prison administration or the called party,including total blocking based on the called party's telephone number,blocking during particular time periods, blocking based on the class ofthe crime associated with a particular inmate, etc.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an apparatus formanaging telephone activity in an institution includes: a plurality ofinstitutional telephones located within the institution; adigitally-based facilities management unit (FMU) for selectivelyconnecting the institutional telephones to one or more outside telephonelines, wherein the FMU includes a means for receiving and interpretingsignals present on either the institutional or external telephone lines,a means for controlling the connection of the institutional telephonesto the outside telephone lines based upon signals received from theoutside telephone lines, a means to generate signals to either thecalled party or the calling party, and a means to store (i.e. as in adatabase) information regarding the calling privileges of each personwithin the institution and regarding the calls made by each person.

Other features of the FMU provide security and monitoring functions. Theinvention provides three levels of monitoring, any or all of which maybe active for any given call. The first level is “live” call monitoring,where the prison officials actively listen to a live call.

The second level is call recording. The FMU can be programmed either toenable associated recording equipment to record telephone calls or todigitally record the call itself, the latter of which enables calls tobe more easily queued, retrieved, searched, and generally accessed. Thecall recording can be enabled for all calls, or can be specificallyenabled upon the occurrence of a specified event. For example, therecording may be enabled based upon the number dialed, the time of day,or any other administrative parameter. Further, the FMU can beprogrammed to annotate the recordings with a voice message, either atthe beginning and/or end of the call only, or intermittently indicating,for example, the date and time.

The third level is “passive” line monitoring, where the FMU detects, forexample, DTMF tones, off-hook conditions, voltage spikes, or sudden lineimpedance changes, in order to thwart attempts at unauthorized three-waycalling, call conferencing, call transferring, call forwarding orre-dialing via various alternate common carriers, many of whom now offer“1-800” or local telephone number (e.g., “950”) access numbers.Additionally, the passive line monitoring may consist of the “listening”by a digital signal processor to the words of the call, and, upon the“hearing” of a certain word or phrase, the call may be recorded or theinstitution authorities alerted.

Care is taken to avoid disrupting calls that do not represent securitybreaches, by preventing false triggering of the above “passive” linemonitoring features. For example, with respect to DTMF tone blocking,the FMU will look for any additional digits entered by an institutionalcaller, such as an inmate, to prevent the inmate from re-dialing toother telephone numbers that may not be authorized. However, to prevent“talkoff”, whereby the normal telephone conversation can falsely triggera disconnect signal (because the FMU may interpret the conversation asDTMF dialing), the FMU can be set to look at the number of digits dialedwithin a specified time period (e.g., six (6) digits within a fifteen(15) second time period, or any variation of the two parameters) andthereby, determine whether the audio information is indicative ofunauthorized DTMF re-dialing or just a normal speech or voice pattern.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, all callsare passively monitored and all calls that can be legally recorded—i.e.,all but inmate-to-attorney calls—are recorded. At any time, prisonofficials can selectively invoke live monitoring to listen in on anycall in progress, except an inmate-to-attorney call. System alarms,which trigger any time a particular inmate places a call or calls acertain person, allow officials to determine when live call monitoringis appropriate.

Likewise, the telephone system of the present invention can beprogrammed to default in any manner. For example, the system can be setto place only those telephone calls that are among a pre-approved listof telephone numbers. Conversely, the system can be set to place alltelephone calls except those that are among a list of restrictedtelephone numbers. Optionally, the telephone system of the presentinvention can include speed-dialing, whereby upon entering a PIN, forexample, an inmate can enter “11” followed by the “#” key. In that case,the prison administrator may have established that “11” is thespeed-dialing sequence for that inmate's mother. Of course, the systemcould be configured so that the inmates themselves can program thetelephone system with speed-dialing digits, however, a principalobjective of speed-dialing is to save time at the telephone, thus makingthe telephones available to the largest number of inmates in theshortest possible time period.

From an administrator/user perspective, the system of the presentinvention supports the following general functions:

-   -   (1) establishment and configuration of individual inmate data        and monetary accounts;    -   (2) checking of inmate debit (i.e. paid-in-advance) accounts;    -   (3) setting of global (i.e. institution wide) and individual        restrictions on telephone access;    -   (4) real-time monitoring of inmate telephone calls and alerts        (based on call content, security breaches, etc.), along with the        ability to cut off inmate calls individually or globally;    -   (5) storing and reporting of call details and account        information, including attempted calls;    -   (6) storing and reporting of telephone usage data; and

These administrative functions are achieved through the use of arelational database management system (RDBMS), such as Oracle, whichprovides data integrity, true client/server architecture, database andnetwork security, audit capabilities, and a flexible, scalableapplication development environment.

This database is combined with a customized graphical user interfacemake the system user-friendly.

The system software includes a structured query language (SQL)interface, in order to allow those who are experienced database users toaccess specific database information. However, two simpler methods ofperforming queries are also provided: (1) query by example, in whichadministrative staff enter the desired search information directly intoa data field displayed as part of a system information screen, and (2)query by drag-and-drop query tool, in which the query tool provides auser-friendly “view” of the relational database information in analready-related, more usable format. An example of such a “view” is thatwhen a user asks for an inmate's ‘account’, the user is provided withall the data which is related to the inmate, including data frommultiple facility locations and the inmate's relevant status and callinformation. A “wizard” is also provided to walk new users through thesteps of creating a query.

Forms may be created via an Oracle development tool with a graphicaluser interface. The forms generator includes a built-in SQL interface tothe database. In addition, a commercially-available SQL report writer isalso integrated within the system. This program can generate specializedreports of calling activity or other system usage; however, many reportsare preprogrammed and can be selected from the graphical user interface.

The invention further includes biometric voice verification features.The FMU, for example, digitizes a sample of the caller's (and calledparty's voice, if desired); then, at a later date, the FMU can comparethe digitized sample with a stored voice print, to verify the identityof the caller. Such biometric monitoring can also be used in a passivecall monitoring mode, wherein periodic samples of the caller's voice arerecorded—and checked against a list of authorized voice prints—to ensurethat no unauthorized callers are participating in a call, and to ensurethat inmates are not sharing or selling relatively liberal callingprivileges associated with a particular PIN or inmate account to otherinmates that are subject to more limited calling privileges.

In general, the use of biometric voice verification (or “voice prints”)can prevent PIN abuse. For example, if a particular inmate withrestricted calling privileges, or no available funds, attempted to force(e.g., by threatening physical attack) another inmate with relativelynon-restricted calling privileges (or available funds) to turn over hisPIN, biometric voice verification would obviate this problem, as thevoice would be used to validate entry into any inmate account. Thebiometric voice verification, if used in cooperation with other policeauthorities with access to voiceprints, can also be used to determinethe identity of the called party.

Optionally, digitized voice samples can be taken for each call made,whereby such samples are sufficient in length to provide verificationthat the inmate indeed participated in a conversation with a particularcalled party on a particular date and at a particular time. Becauseprison administrators may not wish to charge inmates (or in the case ofcollect calls, called parties) for certain calls (for example, calls theadministrator deems incomplete), it is critical that administrators havethe ability to verify actual telephone communications. Incompletetelephone calls may include, for example, busy signals, calls that donot “go through”, calls that are not answered (as distinct from callsthat reach answering machines, which may be deemed complete), etc. Thus,if an inmate or a called party subsequently claims that a particulartelephone communication never occurred (e.g., a busy signal was reached,the called party never answered, or no voices were spoken at all), theprison administer can retrieve the voice verification record to evaluatewhether, e.g., a credit is due, telephone system repair is required, orwhether claims that certain calls were incomplete are false.

Advantageously, the FMU's digital recording feature also permits therecording of the pronunciation of inmate's name and subsequent retrievaleach time the message is generated. This eliminates the risk of aninmate interjecting a short message in place of his/her name. Thepronunciation of an inmate's name can alternatively be synthesized fromwell-known commercially available electronic phoneme sets, or can bereproduced from a voice data file created by the actual inmate oradministrator. For example, when an inmate first enters a correctionsfacility, he/she may be instructed to recite his/her name into a voicerecorder via a microphone. Then, that voice can be stored permanentlyinto a file associated with that inmate's calling account and/or PIN,and can be automatically replayed as desired.

Speech recognition capabilities may also be incorporated within the FMU.For example, a speech-to-text algorithm would permit a transcript of acall to be made automatically and printed out. Keyword recognition mayalso be used to identify calls which may be of an illegal or fraudulentnature, and the appropriate authority may be alerted or the call may berecorded.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the above apparatusfor managing telephone activity in an institution further includes aconnection to a centrally located operations facility, wherein data maybe exchanged and system maintenance may be performed from the centralfacility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description below describes the preferred embodiments ofthe invention and is intended to be read in conjunction with the set ofdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of the facilities involvedin the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system architecture of thepreferred embodiment, including equipment located at a typical site, ata Primary Central Operations Facility, at a Backup Central OperationsFacility, and at a customer headquarters (BOP Central Office);

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a FMU;

FIGS. 4A through 4C are exemplary screens showing an institutionaluser's calling privileges and activity;

FIG. 5 is a sample report which may be created by the preferredembodiment of the invention, showing the telephone numbers which weremost frequently dialed by institutional users;

FIGS. 6 through 17 are flow diagrams depicting the operation ofprocessing a call.

FIGS. 18 through 25 are flow diagrams depicting the financialtransactions available through the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiment(s) will be described with reference to prisonbased call management. This, however, should not be viewed as limiting,since the invention is also applicable in other institutional settingssuch as military bases, schools, mental institutions and businessorganizations.

I. Introduction:

The current invention was developed for the Federal Bureau of Prisons(“BOP”), as an upgrade to the current BOP Inmate Telephone System (ITS).The BOP currently operates approximately 90 federal prisons throughoutthe U.S. and Puerto Rico. Each correctional facility houses between 300and 4,500 inmates, and the total inmate population is approximately100,000 inmates. The facilities range from “low-security” to “Ad-Maxsecurity,” and inmate phone access accordingly varies from highlyrestricted access to minimally restricted access.

The new inmate telephone system, designated “ITS-II,” providescorrectional facility inmates with fully-automated direct-dial andcollect calling privileges for local, long distance, and internationalcalls, using the Federal Telecommunications System (FTS or FTS2000)proprietary telephone circuits wherever possible. The ITS-IIarchitecture is fully modular and expandable. The ITS-II is designed tohandle at least 150,000 inmates at 150 correctional facilities; however,call traffic is limited only by the number of inmate telephone stationswithin the correctional facilities.

Further, the ITS-II is a controlled-access system. An inmate's abilityto make telephone calls may be limited on the basis of the securityrating of the inmate, the facility which the inmate is at, the numberthe inmate is attempting to call, the quantity of time the inmate ispermitted to call per day, the amount of money which the inmate hasavailable to use for calls, etc. Each inmate is provided with atelephone billing account, and the inmate may purchase credits for theaccount. The balance of the account must stay positive.

The ITS-II is designed as a national network of local correctionalfacility telephone systems, combined with a centralized databasemanagement system. The long-distance telephone circuits are generallyprovided by the Federal Telecommunications System (FTS or FTS2000), butcircuits from other telephone service providers may also beincorporated. Database records are kept for each inmate, containinginformation on the inmate's calling history, calling permissions,billing account, etc. Each correctional facility system maintains thisdatabase information for each inmate at that facility; in addition,complete database records are stored at a Central Operations Facility.The Central Operations Facility also houses an E-mail server whichprovides system-wide E-mail capability.

In addition to inmate direct dial and collect call services, the ITS-IIprovides various administrative capabilities to ensure the financialintegrity of the inmate telephone account system. These capabilitiesinclude inmate account management, audit trails, transaction reports,centralized management and report capabilities, and detection andelimination of fraudulent schemes to use telephone service providersother than the FTS.

Because of the importance of the ITS-II in maintaining inmate morale ata correctional facility, the ITS-II is designed as a highly reliable,high-quality transmission system which conforms to all appropriateindustry standards for voice communications in office environments.

In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to theBOP, the Federal Telecommunications System (FTS or FTS2000), and theFederal Prison Point-of-sale (FPPOS) or Commissary system. One skilledin the art will recognize, however, that although the ITS-II wasdesigned around the BOP requirements, the disclosed system has a widerange of applications restricted neither to the BOP nor, in fact, toprison facilities. The BOP is only one institutional customer, of many,who can make use of this system. Furthermore, although this system isdesigned around the FTS telephone circuits, the system is equally ableto be used with the telephone circuits of any other telephone serviceprovider. Likewise, the Commissary may be understood as a typicalaccount-based point-of-sale system. Therefore, references herein to theBOP, the FTS, the FPPOS, or the Commissary are not intended to limit thescope of the application of this invention.

II. ITS-II Equipment Overview:

Accordingly, as shown on FIG. 1, the ITS-II consists of local inmatephone systems located at each high-security correctional facility 100and low-security facility 102, which interface over the FTS CentralOffices 101 to the Primary Central Operations Facility (“PCOF”) 104 viaa wide-area network. The PCOF contains central database servers, backupstorage, mail servers, routers, system maintenance, etc. Also connectedare the Backup Central Operations Facility (“BCOF”) 106, a Managementand Specialty Training Center (“MSTC”) 103, and the BOP Central OfficeHeadquarters 105, which provides both administrative support andtraining.

The ITS-II components are more specifically shown in FIG. 2.

At a typical site, the backbone of the local equipment is the“Facilities Management Unit” or “FMU” 201, which controls and connects aplurality of inmate telephone stations 200 with a plurality of outsidetelephone lines 212. The FMU is locally networked via an intelligent hub204 to local administrative workstations 205 and to the local FederalPrison Point-of-Sale (“FPPOS”) system workstation 206 and server 208.Via a serial port, the FMU also may connect in a send-only manner to theAutomated Intelligence Management System (“AIMS”) 207, which is used bycorrectional facility investigative staff. Local terminals 209 areprovided for the purpose of real-time monitoring of phone conversations;where the distance from the FMU 201 to the terminals 209 is far, theseterminals may be connected via short haul modems 210.

The FMU 201 exchanges database and call record information both with thePCOF 104 and with the BCOF 106 via two dedicated 56 Kbps digital T0 FTSlines 202, 203 and routers 214, 224. The routers 214, 224 coordinate theintercommunication among the FMU 201, the primary Database ManagementServer “1” 221, the secondary Database Management Server “2” 215, theMail Server “3” 227, the primary Network Manager Server “4” 228, and thebackup Network Manager Server “5” 219. The two routers are themselvesinterconnected via four DS1 digital FTS lines, representing a link of1.5 Mbit/s. The routers 214, 224 additionally provide a link to the PCOFand BCOF local area networks 218, 226 for administrative terminals ateach facility.

In the event that the FTS direct lines should fail, the FMU 201 may alsoconnect to the PCOF and BCOF via one or more modems 211. Both facilitieshave modem pools 217, 225 for the purpose of receiving these modemconnections and communicating between both facilities. For maximumreliability, the modem connection can be established either via FTScircuits or via another telephone service provider's circuits 213.

Inmate information and call records are maintained on both the PrimaryDatabase Management Server “1” 221 and the Secondary Database ManagementServer “2” 215. The secondary server 215 functions ordinarily as abackup server. Replication software automatically maintains a copy ofdata at the two locations. The servers 215, 221 are in continuousoperation, each server maintaining a current version of the entireinmate and call record database as a backup to the other. In the eventthat either of the servers fails, the remaining server continues toprovide full database management operation for the ITS-II. Each serverhas disk storage capacity in the form of a Redundant Array ofIndependent Disks (RAID storage), in order to securely maintain thecritical database information.

Additional database protection is provided by large-scale backup tapesfor each server. The database management server at the PCOF has twolarge-capacity Digital Linear Tape drives, as manufactured by, one toperform database backups 223, and the other to archive 7 years of datafor immediate on-line access 222. The Alpha server at the backuplocation also has a Digital Linear Tape drive 216 to archive continuousdaily/weekly backups.

A third server 227 provides e-mail service and operates independently ofthe call processing hardware and software of the ITS-II. Its purpose isto provide an efficient means of inter- and intra-site, on-line,workstation-to-workstation communication. While the server is located atthe PCOF, the e-mail network links all correctional facilities 100, theMSTC 103, and the BOP Central Office 105.

A fourth and fifth servers 219, 228 provide network managementcapability. The network management system is responsible for monitoringthe operational aspects of each node on the network and its associatedcomponents. Information concerning network performance is monitored atboth the PCOF 104 and at the MSTC 103 so that problems associated withthe network can be rapidly identified and remedied by the technicalsupport organization.

All of the servers are protected by surge and UPS protection. However, abackup generator is also provided at the PCOF 104 to power all of theITS-II equipment at this site in the event of a utility power failure tothe facility. In the event of such a failure, the UPS will providesufficient power duration until the generator's transfer switch canautomatically start the generator. Once in operation, the generator canessentially provide continued power until the utility service isrestored to the facility.

Additionally connected to the routers 214, 224 are an (LIDB) ValidationInterface, a Collect Call Billing Interface, and MSTC 229. The LineInformation Database (LIDB) Verification is achieved via an X.25 gatewayto an (LIDB) provider, and the return codes are stored as part of aninmate's call record. The Collect Call Billing interface consists oftransmitting details regarding collect calls placed via the ITS-II to abilling agent, who then collects the charges through collectionagreements with local exchange carriers. The MSTC has an FMU systemconnected via a 56 Kbit/s FTS Dedicated Transmission Service link toeach central office facility. The modem pools 217, 225 also serve as abackup line of communication to the LIDB service and the MSTC FMU.

The ITS-II is further configured to support the new Locked-Martin LocalNumber Portability (LNP) database for accurate billing of collect callsas Local Number Portability is deployed.

Lastly, the routers 214, 224 are connected to an FMU system 231 at theBOP Central Office 105 via a 56 Kbit/s FTS Dedicated TransmissionService link to each central operations facility. Network monitors andadministrative workstations 232 are also located at the BOP CentralOffice 105. Modem 230 provides a backup link to the PCOF 104 or BCOF106.

III. FMU Hardware:

The FMU is a modular digital implementation of the TMU system describedin Gainsboro U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,013, entitled COMPUTER-BASED METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING, MONITORING, RECORDING, AND REPORTINGTELEPHONE ACCESS. The FMU incorporates all of the features of the TMU,Voice Board and Answer Supervision Board, as well as providessignificant new functionality specific to working within the digitalframework.

With reference to FIG. 3A, the FMU in the preferred embodiment iscontained within a seismic enclosure 260. The FMU comprises two modularchassis 250,251, having backplanes which allow the FMU to be configuredwith up to 16 modular boards 258 each. The backplanes connects modularboards 258 together and provides external I/O to rear-mountedconnectors. Separate configuration and TDM (Time Division Multiplex)busses are included on the backplane. Power supply modules 254,255control the batteries in battery racks 256,257 and provide power to thechassis 250,251. Hard disk drives 252,252 are further connected to thechasses. The backup modem 211 and short haul modems 210 are located atthe top of the seismic enclosure 260, along with the intelligent hub204.

With reference to FIG. 3B, the modular boards 258 which are available inthe FMU are: CPU Card 300, Dual T1/E1 Interface Card 302, Hex Analog COInterface Card 304, Hex Analog Station Interface Card 306, and QuadDigital Signal Processor Resource 308. Further, power supply modules 310(reference numbers 254 and 255 on FIG. 3A) are included. Each modularboard is assigned unique configuration and TDM addresses by a hard-wiredslot address on the backplane. These modular boards, and the powersupply module 310, are designed to be “HOT-SWAPable” (HOT-SWAP is atrademark of Linear Technology).

The overall operation including connections and circuitry of the modularboards 258 will be clear to one of skill in the art; additionaldescription is considered generally redundant, although limiteddescriptions will be provided below, in order to highlight and summarizethe functions provided by the cards.

-   -   A. Power Supply 310. This module is a 500 watt off-line        switching power supply with power factor correction, a battery        charging circuit, DC—DC converters, and fault detection and        monitoring circuitry.        -   1. The FMU modular cards and FMU power supply 310 are            designed to allow hot power supply insertion and removal.            Power sequencing and current limiting is employed to prevent            connector arcing and output voltage sags during board            insertion and removal. The power supply is designed to            operate in parallel with a second identical power supply,            for redundancy.        -   2. Output voltages are monitored to be within specific            tolerances by a local microprocessor/controller. Input line            voltage and input line current values are also monitored via            transformers.        -   3. Faults may be reset via a local fault reset switch or via            the local microprocessor. The power supply is            self-protecting under short-circuit and over-load            conditions.        -   4. The power factor corrected off-line supply and            current-sharing DC—DC convertors are constructed using            commercially available, packaged assemblies.        -   5. An unbalanced (battery side) ring generator is            implemented to allow 10 to 15 phones to ring simultaneously.        -   6. The power suppy 310 is designed to interface            automatically with external batteries and to take power from            the external battery when AC power is removed. Battery            protection circuitry is included in a controller and a            trickle charger. Each power suppy 310 is connected to a            separate set of external batteries. The controller and            trickle charger monitor the condition of the battery cells            and adjust battery charging parameters to ambient            temperature. The batteries may be rated to provide two hours            of backup power.        -   7. The power supply microprocessor monitors the following            conditions using on-board sensors and a 12-bit on-board A/D:            power supply failure, battery failure, high temperature, low            airflow, −48 voltage, +5 voltage, external battery attached,            battery charging, battery voltage, AC voltage, current from            offline −48V supply, current into DC—DC convertors, and            board serial number. When errors occur, fault conditions are            sent to the CPU board (below), and an on-board LED is            flashed.    -   B. CPU Consolidation Card 300. This card integrates system        control and inter-system communication onto a single card.        -   1. This card contains a “CPU Module” consisting of an 80486            processor, 32 MB DRAM, 128 kB EPROM, watchdog,            clock-switching PLL, and an IDE hard disk controller            connected to the enclosure-mounted IDE 2.0 GB disk drives.            Also provided on this card are eight RS-232 ports, two            configurable synchronous ports, a ‘10 Base T’ Ethernet            controller, redundant TDM switching resources, TDM            record/playback logic, a TDM Monitoring port which may be            configured to access any ST-BUS channel, and a custom,            field-programmable, “glue logic” controller which interfaces            the various signals to the various circuits on this card.        -   2. This card communicates with other cards via two HDLC            synchronous half-duplex 2.048 Mbit/s “Message Channel”            ports; each other card similarly contains an HDLC controller            to receive messages.        -   3. This card, transmitting via a 300 baud UART onto a            redundant “Reset Bus,” can reset or power cycle each card in            the FMU 201. Each plug-in card has a small microcontroller,            or “Fault Reset Sequencer,” that supervises that card's            hot-swap controller and monitors the Reset Bus for commands.            The bus supports such commands as: (1) “Test,” whereby CPU            card toggles a control line that can be read by the            destination card to test the Reset Bus operation; (2) “Reset            Breaker,” whereby the destination card's circuit breakers            are reset one at a time; (3) “Power cycle,” whereby the            destination card's circuit breakers are power cycled;            and (4) “Broadcast Reset,” whereby all tripped circuit            breakers in the FMU are sequentially reset at 10 mS            intervals.        -   4. This card is designed to provide redundancy; two such            processing cards are installed in the FMU 201. When one CPU            card fails, the other card takes over. The Message Channel            is used to monitor for CPU card failure.    -   C. Dual T1/E1 Interface Card 302. This card includes two T1 or        E1 communication ports, a TDM bus interface and error        management. Each T1/E1 Interface Card takes one outgoing TDM        stream and one ingoing TDM stream. The T1 or E1 controller may        be implemented via commercially available T1 or E1 integrated        circuits, which incorporate all the necessary interface logic,        i.e., elastic store and line drivers, line receivers, clock        equalization, signaling detection, and signaling generation. A        digital signal processor, in combination with a        field-programmable, “glue logic” controller, controls the card.    -   D. Hex Analog CO Interface Card 304. This card provides six        outside lines to the analog telephone network. Standard analog        line interfaces are implemented, with separate ground start        relays on ring and tip lines, ring detection, TIP ground        detection via a ground start relay, line current detection, and        analog loopback. A digital signal processor, along with a glue        logic/timing controller, is used to control the card and to        exchange call channel data with the TDM bus.    -   E. Hex Analog Station Interface Card 306. This card implements        six interfaces to local institutional phones.        -   1. Most of the functions involved in setting up, operating,            and closing a phone call are performed by the DSP on this            card, including: (a) recognizing a local telephone off-hook            condition, based upon an output from the Station Line            Interface Circuit (SLIC); (b) generating a dial tone to the            telephone; (c) detecting DTMF and rotary dialing            signals; (d) generating outgoing DTMF tones; (e) detecting            progress tones from the Central Office (“CO”); (f)            monitoring for DTMF tones present on either the inmate            station lines or the outside line during a call; (g)            filtering out DTMF tones if required; (h) cutting off a            call, as required, as soon as illegal DTMF tones are            detected; (I) combining the “inmate voice” signal, coming in            from the inmate station, with the “outside party voice”            signal reaching the card over the ST-BUS stream, for            recording purposes; (j) recording, in on-board memory, the            first 10 seconds and last 10 seconds of all calls, for use            in billing dispute resolution and fraud investigations; (k)            forwarding recordings to the CPU Card for storage; (l)            transmitting combined voices over the TDM bus for external            monitoring and recording by equipment connected to the FMU            ports or networked through the intelligent hub; and (m)            outputting the combined voice signals in analog form to            external recording equipment which is not networked through            the intelligent hub. Where the call is an approved            attorney-inmate call which may not legally be recorded, a            constant tone, instead of the signal of (m) above, is output            to the recording equipment by switching the “Attorney Relay”            to select the tone. The tone lasts for the duration of the            call, so that prison officials know how long the call            lasted.        -   2. This card provides standard analog line interface            features, such as constant current feed, ring generation,            line polarity reversal, ground start detection, off-hook            detection, etc., via the Station Line Interface Circuit            (SLIC).        -   3. A digital signal processor, along with a glue-logic            controller, controls this card. The DSP provides the signal            processing features listed above, as well as speech            recognition; for example, the DSP will detect the word,            “yes,” in order to identify whether a called party wishes to            accept a collect call.        -   4. This card is designed to maximize the reliability of            inmate phone service. The card contains a seventh inmate            station channel coder/decoder (codec), which is used as a            test access circuit under normal conditions. However, in the            event of a failure, this extra channel can be software            configured to replace any one of the six other line            circuits. This feature is implemented by having a “test            circuit interface” chip present before the coding/decoding            circuitry, which functions as a controllable double-pole,            double-throw relay. One such chip is inserted on each            incoming channel. The outputs of these six chips are tied            together and connected to the input of the seventh inmate            station channel circuitry. The data from the seventh channel            can be inserted by the processing circuitry into any of the            six normal ST-BUS streams. Thus, this seventh channel            provides a fully redundant codec, to replace any of the six            normal line circuits.        -   5. Furthermore, the processing circuitry receives incoming            inmate call data coming from the seven channel codecs in a            redundant fashion. The first three inmate channel codecs            supply data through one bus connection, the second three            through a second bus connection, and the seventh channel            through still a third bus connection. In this way,            disruption of one bus connection results in the loss of at            most three inmate channels, one of which can be replaced by            the redundant seventh channel described above.        -   6. This card has a reverse-polarity circuit for each station            line. On most existing inmate telephone stations, this            inverse polarity on the tip/ring lines has the effect of            shutting off the DTMF tone pad at the phone. On newer inmate            telephone stations, which have a backward diode connected on            the tip/ring lines, this card can verify wiring continuity            to and from the inmate station by detecting current flow,            when polarity is reversed. The reverse polarity circuit is            implemented via the SLIC.        -   7. This card interfaces with the CPU Card to store call            parameter information regarding each call established by            this card. In the unlikely event that a station card is            removed during a phone call—as by maintenance personnel, the            call can automatically be reeestablished by the FMU without            the inmate re-entering the call information.    -   F. Quad Digital Signal Processor Resource Card 308. This        optional card provides additional processing capacity: for        specific ITS-II features which have unusually high signal        processing requirements, such as biometric voiceprint        recognition and speech-to-text and keyword recognition means to        monitor the harmonic voice signals to ascertain the truth of the        statements made. This card contains four digital signal        processors. Software updates can be received over the “Message        Channel” HDLC port. No block diagram is available for this card;        however, the basic interfaces would be similar to those shown in        the diagrams of the cards described above.

Each of the above cards can selectively place on, and get data off, theTDM bus, which is implemented as a standard 32-stream computer telephonybus with several redundant signals added. This bus can be implementedaccording to the “CT bus” standard defined by the Enterprise ComputerTelephony Forum (ECTF) in Interoperability Agreement ECTF H.110. TheH.110 standard describes the Computer Telephony (CT) Bus implementationon the Compact PCI (cPCI) form factor. This bus structure allows arobust, open system architecture. However, the telecom bus may also beimplemented in accordance with any other appropriate TDM bus protocol.

The redundant signals include the 8.192 MHz data clock, the 8 kHz frameclock, and the 8.192 Mhz Scbus compatibility data clock.

The TDM Switching 312 (shown on FIG. 3B) is implemented on the CPU Card300 as two redundant sixteen channel switches, each using an FMICinterface circuit with integral master clock switching capability. TheTDM bus operates at the industry-standard 2.048 MBPS speed and provides32 channels on each of sixteen streams, for a total capacity of 256bi-directional channels. Each FMIC circuit supports sixteen global andfour local busses. Each chip's global busses connect to the backplane,and the local busses connect to the on-board TDM Playback/Record Engine.The local busses run at 4.096 M/s.

The TDM Playback/Record Engine 314 (shown on FIG. 3B) supports both (1)the playing of up to 64 TDM streams from the CPU Card memory to anyST-BUS channel and (2) the recording of up to 16 ST-BUS channel streamsto the CPU Card memory. A total of 80 streams may be active at a giventime. Data is transferred between the CPU and the Playback/Record Engineas 16-bit words. The Playback/Record Engine 314 also connectsselectively to either of the two redundant TDM Switches.

An example of the mechanics of “starting” a call is as follows: At theend of a call, or at the end of FMU initialization, the CPU Card sends amessage over the Message Channel to the Station Card, telling theStation Card to ‘prime’ an outgoing analog channel for the start of anew call. After the Station Card channel has been primed, it is ready toperform certain autonomic functions. When the inmate station in questiongoes off-hook, the Station Card will automatically clear a “digitbuffer”, enable DTMF reception, and play a dial tone to the inmate. Whenthe fist DTMF digit is detected by the Station Card, the dial tone willbe stopped. These actions take place without CPU Card intervention.

If the caller goes off-hook before the Station Card channel has beenprimed, the caller will not receive a dial tone, and DTMF digits willnot be collected. If the channel is subsequently primed while theoff-hook condition still exists, the caller will receive a dial tone,and operation will continue as above.

It will be readily apparent that the autonomous nature of the StationCard, as controlled by the on-board DSP, gives a very fast real-timeresponse to the caller; much faster, in fact, than would be the case ifthe CPU Card had more control over the Station Card. This increase inspeed is partially due to the avoidance of any delay in the messagechannel due to heavy message channel traffic, and partially due to thegeneral burden which would be placed on the CPU Card.

IV. Call Processing:

Referring now to FIG. 6, “Call Processing Flowchart,” the method ofconnecting an inmate call in the preferred embodiment can now bediscussed. In step 1001, an inmate first picks up a telephone 1001, andthe FMU responds by generating a dial tone to the inmate station 1002.On the telephone keypad, the inmate then dials a digit 1003 of thetelephone number he wishes to call or, alternatively, the numbersequence associated with an ITS-II function he desires. If the FMUidentifies that more digits are to be dialed 1004, the FMU returns tostep 1003.

When all the digits have been dialed, the FMU prompts the inmate for his“Phone Access Code” (PAC) 1005. The inmate dials the first digit of hisPAC 1006, and, once again, the FMU returns to step 1006 until all thedigits of the PAC are entered 1007. The FMU then carries out the “InmateAccount Validation” subprocess 1008, which is shown in FIG. 7 anddescribed in detail below. The FMU checks the result of this subprocessin step 1009. If the call is found invalid, the FMU drops the inmatestation 1010, stores a record of the call locally and remotely on thedatabases on the Central Operations Facilities' servers 1017, and ceasesprocessing the call 1018.

On the other hand, if the call is found valid in step 1009, the FMUdetermines whether the call is a collect call 1011 or a direct dial call1013. If the call is a collect call, the FMU carries out the “CollectCall Processing” subprocess in FIGS. 8 to 12, which are described indetail below and represented here as step 1012. If the call is a directdial call, the FMU carries out the “Direct Call Processing” subprocessshown in FIGS. 13 to 16 which are described in detail below andrepresented here as step 1014. If the dialed digits represent a numbersequence associated with inmate financial transactions, the FMU carriesout the steps shown in FIGS. 18 to 25 which are described in detailbelow and represented here as step 1015. Otherwise, the FMU drops theinmate station and the network trunk line (if seized) 1016, stores arecord of the call attempt 1017, and ceases processing the call 1018.

FIG. 7 shows the “Inmate Account Validation” subprocess, which isrepresented as step 1008 above. Inmate account validation consists of anumber of simple checks. In steps 1020, 1022, 1024, 1026, 1028, 1030,and 1032, the following questions are determined by the FMU:

-   -   1. Was a valid PAC entered?    -   2. Is the call type valid? In other words, if the inmate is        attempting to make a direct dial (debit) call, is the inmate        permitted to make direct dial calls? If the inmate is attempting        to make a collect call, is the inmate permitted to make collect        calls?    -   3. Is the inmate account active?    -   4. Is the inmate allowed to place calls?    -   5. Is the inmate allowed to place calls at the present time?    -   6. Is the inmate allowed to use the present telephone station?    -   7. Are there other administrative parameters which are not        satisfied?        If any of these checks fail, an appropriate error message is        played to the inmate in steps 1021, 1023, 1025, 1027, 1029,        1031, and 1033. At step 1044, the FMU returns either to step        1010 above, if the call is valid, or to step 1011 above, if the        call is not valid.

FIG. 8 is an overview of the “Collect Call Processing” subprocess, whichwas identified as step 1012 above. Collect call processing begins atstep 1045. The collect call is validated in step 1046 through the“Collect Call Validation” subprocess shown on FIG. 9. If the collectcall is not found valid in step 1047, the collect call processingterminates at step 1053 and goes to step 1016 above, where the FMU dropsthe inmate station and network trunk 1016, stores the call record 1017,and ceases call processing 1018.

If the call is found valid in step 1047, the FMU checks to see whetherthe call is flagged as requiring alert processing 1048, that is, asrequiring active, real-time monitoring by prison personnel and/orautomatic recording. If so, the “alert” is started: a prisonadministrator is notified in some way (beeping noise, flashing on-screenmessage, paper printout, automatic paging, etc) that a call should bemonitored. The ‘alert flag’ may be set based upon the identity of theinmate making the call, the number she is trying to reach, the time ofday, etc. The administrator may optionally be required to press a key,or otherwise acknowledge the alert, before the call processingcontinues.

After the alert is initiated (if required), the call is established atstep 1049, through the “Collect Call Setup” subprocess, which is shownon FIG. 10 and described in detail below. In step 1050, the FMUidentifies whether the call was connected in step 1049, and, if so,starts the call countdown timer 1051, which counts down the minutesavailable to the inmate for the call. The “available minutes” are basedon the “minutes remaining per day/week/month” parameter, permittedcalling schedules, and the “maximum duration per call” parameter. Instep 1052, the FMU carries out the “Collect Call Qualification”subprocess, which is shown in FIG. 12 and described below.

When the call is completed, the “Collect Call Processing” subprocessterminates 1053. The FMU returns to step 1016, where the FMU drops theinmate station and network trunk, stores the call record 1017, andceases call processing 1018.

Referring now to FIG. 9, the “Collect Call Validation” subprocess,represented as step 1046 above, begins at step 1054. In steps 1055,1057, 1059, 1061, and 1063, the FMU checks to verify that theprospective call meets the database control parameters.

The following checks are made:

-   -   1. Are collect calls allowed to this inmate?    -   2. Has the required amount of time passed between collect calls        by this inmate?    -   1. Does this inmate have collect call minutes remaining?    -   2. Is the dialed number allowed?    -   3. Is the dialed number verified by the Line Information        Database (LIDB) system?    -   4. Is there any indication of fraudulent calling, such unusual        or suspicious dialing, third party calls, or call forwarding?        If any of the checks fail, an appropriate error message is        played to the inmate in steps 1056, 1058, 1060, 1062, 1064, and        1067. The result of the “Collect Call Validation” subprocess is        returned 1068 to the “Collect Call Processing” subprocess, shown        on FIG. 8, for use in step 1047 above.

Referring now to FIG. 10, the “Collect Call Setup” subprocess,represented as step 1049 above, begins at step 1069. In step 1070, the“Get Response” subprocess is represented, in which the FMU detectswhether the phone was answered, and, if so, invites the called partyeither to accept or to reject the call. This subprocess is shown in FIG.17 and described in detail below. At step 1071, if the party does notaccept with a valid response, the “Collect Call Setup” subprocessterminates 1078 and returns to step 1016 on FIG. 6, where the FMU dropsthe inmate station and network trunk 1016, stores the call record 1017,and ceases call processing 1018.

If the party does accept with a valid response 1071, the FMU determinesin step 1072 whether the response was a request for more informationregarding the rate at which the call will be charged. If so, in step1073 the FMU carries out the “Rate Request” subprocess, shown in FIG. 11and described below, in which the FMU plays the rates to the calledparty and checks for acceptance. If the called party does not accept1074, a message is played to the inmate 1075, indicating that the calledparty refused the call. If the called party does accept the call, theinmate and the called party are connected 1076, and a message is played1077 indicating to the parties that the call may proceed. At step 1078,the “Collect Call Setup” subprocess terminates, and the FMU continueswith step 1050, above, on FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 shows the “Rate Request” subprocess, which was represented asstep 1073 above. At 1079, the subprocess begins. The FMU plays thecollect call rates to the called party 1080, and simultaneously plays astandby message to the inmate, asking her to “please continue to hold.”In step 1082, the FMU checks to verify that the inmate is still on thephone; if the inmate has hung up, the FMU plays a message to the calledparty 1083, indicated that the inmate hung up and that there is nocharge for the call.

If the inmate is still on the line, the FMU replays the instructions tothe called party, describing how to accept or decline the collect call1084: The FMU waits for a response and keeps track of the wait time.When the time exceeds a predetermined maximum response time 1085, theFMU plays a message to the inmate that the called party did not respond1086, and, at step 1088, returns to step 1071 above. If the accumulatedtime does not exceed the maximum response time 1085, and if the calledparty has not entered a valid response or hung up 1087, then the FMUloops back to 1082. If the called party has entered a valid response orhung up, at step 1088 the FMU terminates the “Process Rate Request”subprocess and returns to step 1071 above.

FIG. 12 shows the “Collect Call Qualification” subprocess, which wasrepresented as step 1052 on FIG. 8, entitled “Collect Call Processing.”In step 1089, the subprocess initializes. The FMU checks for extradialed digits or for the GOTU™ (4688) sequence 1090. If either aredetected 1091, the variable ‘call end type’ is set to “extra dialeddigits or GOTU™” 1092, and the subprocess terminates 1102. If not, theFMU checks for any added calls 1093. If an added call is detected 1094,the variable ‘call end type’ is set to “added call detected” 1095, andthe subprocess terminates 1102. If no added call was detected, the FMUchecks whether both the inmate and the called party are still on thephone 1096. If not, the variable ‘call end type’ is set to “inmate orcalled party hung up” 1097, and the subprocess terminates 1102.

If both parties are still on the line, the FMU issues a warning tone ifthe time remaining is less than a preset amount (e.g. 60 seconds, 30seconds, etc.) 1098. The FMU also randomly plays a call originationmessage to the called party—if the appropriate database parameter isset—so that the called party is occasionally informed where the calloriginated 1099. At step 1100, the FMU checks whether the call countdowntimer is greater than zero, and, if so, loops back to step 1090. If not,the variable ‘call end type’ is set to the variable exceeded, i.e.scheduled hours, maximum call duration, maximum call minutes per day ormonth, etc. The FMU then terminates the “Collect Call Qualification”subprocess 1102 and returns to step 1053, above on FIG. 8, to continuethe “Collect Call Processing” subprocess.

FIG. 13 is an overview of the “Direct Dial Call Processing” subprocess,which was represented as step 1014 on FIG. 6, entitled “CallProcessing.” In step 1103, the subprocess initializes. Step 1104represents the “Direct dial Call Validation” subprocess, in which anumber of simple database parameter checks are run. This subprocess isshown in FIG. 14 and described in detail below. The output from thissubprocess is evaluated in step 1105. If the direct dial call is notvalid, the “Direct Dial Call Processing” subprocess terminates 1111 andthe FMU returns to step 1016 on FIG. 6, where the inmate station andnetwork trunk are dropped, the call record stored 1017, and the callprocessing terminated 1018.

However, if the direct dial call is valid, the FMU checks to see if thecall is flagged as requiring “alert processing” 1106, that is, asrequiring active, real-time monitoring by prison personnel and/orautomatic recording. If so, the “alert” is started: a prisonadministrator is notified in some way (beeping noise, flashing on-screenmessage, paper printout, automatic paging, etc) that a call should bemonitored. The ‘alert flag’ may be set based upon the identity of theinmate making the call, the number she is trying to reach, the time ofday, etc. The administrator may optionally be required to press a key,or otherwise acknowledge the alert, before the call processingcontinues.

After the alert is initiated (if required), the call is established atstep 1107, through the “Direct Dial Call Setup” subprocess, which isshown on FIG. 15 and described in detail below. In step 1108, the FMUidentifies whether the call was connected in step 1107, and, if so,starts the call countdown timer 1109, which counts down the minutesavailable to the inmate for the call. The “available minutes” are basedon the inmate's account balance, “minutes remaining per day/week/month”parameter, permitted calling schedules, and the “maximum duration percall” parameter. In step-1110, the FMU carries out the “Direct Dial CallQualification” subprocess, which is shown in FIG. 16 and describedbelow.

When the call is completed, the “Direct Dial Call Processing” subprocessterminates 1111. The FMU returns to step 1016, where the FMU drops theinmate station and network trunk, stores the call record 1017, andceases call processing 1018.

Referring now to FIG. 14, the “Direct Dial Call Validation” subprocess,represented as step 1104 above, begins at step 1112. In steps 1113,1115, 1117, 1119, 1121, and 1123, the FMU checks to verify that theprospective call meets the database control parameters. The followingchecks are made:

-   -   1. Are direct dial calls allowed to this inmate?    -   2. Are there sufficient funds in the inmate's account for at        least a two (2) minute call?    -   3. Has the required amount of time passed between calls by this        inmate?    -   4. Does this inmate have direct dial call minutes remaining?    -   5. Has this inmate exceeded the number of calls per        day/week/month permitted to her?    -   6. Is the dialed number allowed?        If any of the checks fail, an appropriate error message is        played to the inmate in steps 1114, 1116, 1118, 1120, 1122, and        1124. The result of the “Direct Dial Call Validation” subprocess        is returned 1125 to the “Direct Dial Call Processing”        subprocess, shown on FIG. 13, for use in step 1105 above.

FIG. 15 shows the “Direct Dial Call Setup” subprocess, which isrepresented as step 1107 on FIG. 13, “Direct Dial Call Processing.” Thissubprocess initiates at step 1126. In step 1127, the FMU checks thedatabase to determine whether, for a given number, the called party mustbe given an opportunity to accept or reject the call.

If the called party is required to accept the call before the call isconnected, the FMU carries out the “Get Response” subprocess 1128, shownon FIG. 17 and described below. Basically, in this subprocess the FMUdetects whether the phone was answered, and, if so, invites the calledparty either to accept or to reject the call. The result is returned tostep 1129, in which the FMU evaluates the results of the “Get Response”subprocess. If the called party accepts the call, a message is played toboth parties 1130, indicating the acceptance, and the call is connected.If the called party refuses the call, a message is played to the inmate1132, indicating the refusal, and the “Direct Dial Call Setup”subprocess terminates 1141. If the called party does not respond, the“Direct Dial Call Setup” subprocess also terminates 1141.

On the other hand, if the called party is not required to accept thecall, the FMU dials the digits of the desired phone number (which wereinput in step 1003 on FIG. 6), and connects the inmate station andnetwork trunk 1133.

Next, the FMU goes through several checks to see that the call isconnected as dialed. First, if the FMU detects special information tones(SIT) 1134, the variable ‘call end reason’ is set to “specialinformation tones,” and the subprocess terminates 1141. Second, if theFMU detects that either the inmate or the called party hung up, thevariable ‘call end reason’ is set to “inmate or called party hung up,”and the subprocess terminates 1141. Third, if the FMU determines that apredetermined “maximum ring time” has been exceeded, the variable ‘callend reason’ is set to “expiration of maximum ring time,” and thesubprocess terminates 1141. Lastly, if the FMU detects “answersupervision,” i.e., the called party is speaking with the inmate, thesubprocess ends normally 1141, and the fact of a successful connectionis returned to step 1108 in FIG. 13. If the FMU does not detect answersupervision, the FMU loops back to step 1136 above.

FIG. 16 shows the “Direct Dial Call Qualification” subprocess, which wasrepresented as step 1110 on FIG. 13, entitled “Direct Dial CallProcessing.” In step 1142, the subprocess initializes. The FMU thendebits the inmate account by the cost of one minute 1143 and checks forextra dialed digits or for the GOTU™ (4688) sequence 1144. If dialeddigits are detected 1145, the variable ‘call end type’ is set to “extradialed digits or GOTU™”, 1146, and the subprocess terminates 1157. Ifnot, the FMU checks for any added calls 1147. If an added call isdetected 1148, the variable ‘call end type’ is set to “added calldetected” 1149, and the subprocess terminates 1157. If no added call wasdetected, the FMU checks whether both the inmate and the called partyare still on the phone 1150. If not, the variable ‘call end type’ is setto “inmate or called party hung up” 1151, and the subprocess terminates1157.

If both parties are still on the line, the FMU issues a warning tone ifthe time remaining is less than a preset amount (e.g. 60 seconds, 30seconds, etc.) 1152. The FMU also randomly plays a call originationmessage to the called party—if the appropriate database parameter isset—so that the called party is occasionally informed where the calloriginated 1153. At step 1154, the FMU determines whether one fullminute has passed, and, if not, loops back to step 1144 above.

If a minute has passed, at step 1155 the FMU checks whether the callcountdown timer is greater than zero, and, if so, loops back to step1143. If not, the variable ‘call end type’ is set to the variableexceeded, i.e. scheduled hours, maximum call duration, maximum callminutes per day or month, insufficient account funds, etc. The FMU thenterminates the “Direct Dial Call Qualification” subprocess 1157 andreturns to step 1111, above on FIG. 13, to continue the “Direct DialCall Processing” subprocess.

FIG. 17 shows the “Get Response” subprocess, which was represented asstep 1070 on FIG. 10, “Collect Call Setup,” and as step 1128 on FIG. 15,“Direct Dial Call Setup.” The subprocess begins at step 1158. In step1159, the FMU dials the digits of the number which the inmate wishes toreach, and plays a call progress messages to the inmate, saying “Pleasehold while your call is being processed.” If the FMU detects that thecalled number is busy 1161, a busy signal is played to the inmate 1162,and the subprocess terminates 1174. If the called number is not busy,the FMU goes on to step 1163 and checks for special information tones(SIT), which are generated by the local phone company if a number ischanged or no longer in service. If SIT are detected, a message isplayed to the inmate 1164, saying that an invalid number was dialed.

If SIT are not detected, the FMU checks whether the called number isringing 1165. If so, after five seconds, a message is played to theinmate, telling her to “please continue to hold.” In step 1167, the FMUchecks whether the maximum ring time is exceeded, and, if so, a messageis played to the inmate, indicating that “the called party did notanswer.” If the maximum ring time is not exceeded, the FMU loops back tostep 1165.

When the called number is connected, the FMU plays the appropriate setupmessages to the called party 1169. The messages can include callbranding, call announcement, instructions, etc, in which the calledparty is invited to respond or hang up. Call announcement can, ofcourse, include playing the inmate's previously recorded name.Meanwhile, a message is played to the inmate every five seconds 1170,inviting the inmate to continue to hold while the call is established.The FMU then checks if a valid response is given or if the called partyhangs up 1171. If the party has hung up or entered a valid response suchas pressing a key pad digit or saying “yes”, the subprocess ends 1174.If neither a response nor an on-hook signal is detected, the FMUdetermines whether the maximum response time has been exceeded 1172. Ifso, a message is played to the inmate, indicating that “the called partydid not respond” 1173, and the subprocess ends 1174. If the maximumresponse time has not been exceeded, the FMU loops back to step 1169above.

When the “Get Response” subprocess terminates 1174, the acceptance orlack of acceptance is returned to the main process from which the “GetResponse” subprocess was initiated. On FIG. 10, “Collect Call Setup,”above, the FMU continues with step 1071. On FIG. 15, “Direct Dial CallSetup,” above, the FMU continues with step 1129.

FIGS. 18 through 26 show the financial transactions which can beperformed by the FMU. The FMU allows both inmate and staff members toaccess telephone accounts, and provides an interface to a separatepoint-of-sale accounting system (FPPOS). The financial transactions canbe initiated by an inmate at an inmate station by dialing the codesequence for “Financial Transaction,” in step 1003 above on FIG. 6, orvia automatic debiting during a telephone call. The transactions canalso be initiated by prison personnel via an administrative terminal.The transactions shown on FIGS. 18 through 26 are represented on FIG. 6as step 1015, above.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 18, there is shown a flowchart of thesteps involved in an inmate's transferring funds from a “CommissaryAccount” (a federal prison point-of-sale (FPPOS) account) to an “ITS-IIAccount,” via the FMU. In step 1200, an inmate picks up the handset ofan inmate telephone station. The inmate dials the code sequence for“Financial Transactions” and also inputs his personal identifier 1201.If the inmate does not enter a valid identifier 1202, the FMU plays amessage to the inmate 1203, indicating she did not enter a valididentifier.

Otherwise, the FMU continues with step 1204, where it checks whether thedesired function is available at the time of dialing. For example, ifthe FMU were communicating with the central institutional database inorder to store backup copies of inmate records, the financial functionswould not be available. If the functions are indeed not available, amessage is played 1205, indicating, “These functions are not availableat this time.” However, if the financial functions are available, theinmate receives a message indicating the functions which may be selectedby pressing a digit on the keypad 1206.

In step 1207, the inmate presses the “3” key, indicating that she wishesto transfer funds from a Commissary Account to an ITS-II Account. TheFMU checks whether the inmate is authorized for the transaction 1208. Inthis step, the FMU performs validation checks, such as:

-   -   1. Is the inmate authorized to transfer funds?    -   2. Does the inmate have an active ITS-II account?    -   3. Is the current day and time within the times authorized for        transferring funds?    -   4. Has the inmate reached the maximum permitted number of times        per day or week for transferring funds?    -   5. Does the inmate have funds available for transfer?

If the inmate is not authorized to perform the requested transaction,the FMU plays a message to the inmate to that effect 1209. However, ifthe inmate is authorized, the FMU accesses the Commissary system 1210via a local area network (LAN) within the prison facility. (Forinformation regarding the network interface between the FMU and theFPPOS system, please refer to Federal Prison Point of Sale (FPPOS)System below.) If the Commissary account is not available 1211, amessage is played 1212, stating, “Commissary account is not available atthis time.” Otherwise, a different message is played 1213: “You have$_Available. If you wish to proceed, Press ‘1’. If you wish to quit,hang up.”

If the inmate does not hang up and instead presses the “1” key 1214, amessage is played 1215, indicating, “Please enter the amount you wish totransfer in whole dollars.” The inmate enters the transfer amount 1216,and the FMU acknowledges with the following message 1217: “You haveentered $_to be transferred. Press ‘1’ if you wish to continue. Press‘2’ if the amount is incorrect.”

If the inmate enters “2” 1218, the FMU loops back to step 1215 andprompts the inmate to reenter the amount to transfer. After the amountis reentered and the validation message played, if the inmate enters “2”once again, the transaction processing is terminated 1219, and the FMUdrops the inmate station (step 1016 on FIG. 6), stores a record of theattempted transaction (step 1017 on FIG. 6), and ends the callprocessing.

However, if the inmate enters “1” 1220, the FMU checks whether thetransfer amount exceeds the available commissary account balance 1221.If so, a message is played 1222, indicating “You have insufficient fundsfor this transaction.” Otherwise, the FMU deducts the specified amountfrom the inmate's Commissary account, places the balance into the FPPOSinmate file, and verifies the deduction 1223. Next, the FMU appends arecord of the transaction to the FPPOS file on the Commissary system1224 and stores a transaction detail record on the inmate database ofthe Central Operations Facilities' servers 1225. Finally, the FMUcredits the inmate's ITS-II account and generates a transaction record1226, and plays messages to the inmate confirming the transaction andproviding the new ITS-II and Commissary account balances 1227, 1228,1229.

FIG. 19 shows the steps involved in an inmate's transferring funds froman ITS-II account to a Commissary Account via the FMU.

Because the transaction here is the reverse of the transaction shown inFIG. 18, this chart is nearly identical to that of FIG. 18. Adescription here would therefore be repetitive and redundant; it issufficient to note that in step 1257, the inmate enters “4” rather than“3” above.

FIG. 20 shows the steps involved in an inmate getting her Commissaryaccount balance via the FMU. Steps 1300 through 1306 are the same assteps 1200 through 1206, described above. In step 1307, the inmateenters “2”, indicating that she wishes to obtain her Commissary accountbalance. The FMU performs the authorization checks described above asstep 1208 on FIG. 18, and, if the inmate is not authorized, plays acorresponding message to the inmate 1309. If the inmate is authorized,the FMU accesses the Commissary system 1310. If the inmate's Commissaryaccount is not available 1311, a message is played to that effect 1312.Otherwise, the Commissary account balance is given to the inmate 1313.

FIG. 21 shows the steps involved in an inmate getting her ITS-II accountbalance via the FMU. Steps 1350 through 1356 are the same as steps 1200through 1206, described above. In step 1357, the inmate enters “1”,indicating that she wishes to obtain her ITS-II account balance. The FMUperforms the authorization checks described above as step 1208 on FIG.18, and, if the inmate is not authorized, plays a corresponding messageto the inmate 1359.

If the inmate is authorized, the FMU attempts to retrieve the inmate'sITS-II account information from the local database 1360. If theinmates's ITS-II account is locked by another activity 1361, then theinmate receives a message, “Your account is not available at this time.”

Otherwise, the ITS-II account balance is given to the inmate in steps1363 through 1370. The inmate is informed:

-   -   1. “Your account balance is $_.”    -   2. “The cost of your last call was $_.”    -   3. “You have minutes remaining for this week.”(where applicable)    -   4. “You have calls remaining for this week.”(where applicable)    -   5. “You have_collect call minutes remaining for this week.”        (where applicable)    -   6. “You have_direct dial call minutes remaining for this week.”        (where applicable)    -   7. “You have_direct dial calls remaining for this week.” (where        applicable)

FIG. 22 shows the steps involved in a electronic transfer of funds, froma Commissary account to the ITS-II account, which is initiated by prisonpersonnel at the inmate's request. In step 1400, an inmate “purchases”debits from the Commissary. The Commissary staff input the transactioninto the FPPOS system 1401. The inmate's Commissary account is changedto reflect the purchase 1402, and a temp file is created showing theITS-II Credit purchases 1403.

At the end of the day, the FPPOS automatically generates an ASCII datatransfer file 1404 and, at the instruction of a Commissary staff member1405, transfers this file to the FMU 1406. Those skilled in the art willrecognize that this data transfer is not necessarily restricted toend-of-day transfers only; many POS systems provide real-time, automaticupdates, and the FMU would easily accommodate such updates. The currentFPPOS system, however, requires that a Commissary staff member enablethe file transfer.

The FMU, in turn, processes the transactions for the individual ITS-IIaccounts 1407. This processing includes validation checks, such as:

-   -   1. Is the inmate assigned to the correctional facility?    -   2. Is the inmate's account active?    -   3. Is the inmate on the telephone?    -   4. Are there any other transaction locks on the account?        The FMU also checks whether the accounts are available 1408. If        the account is invalid or unavailable, that fact is recorded as        an “exception” which is reported on a Transfer Exceptions Report        1409. If the transfer is approved, the FMU simultaneously stores        the transaction record locally and on the databases on the        Central Operations Facilities servers, and updates the net        transaction amount for the day on the inmate's daily account        balance summary record 1410. Upon completion of the FPPOS file        processing, the FMU automatically generates and prints the        Exceptions Report and an Electronic Funds Transfer Report 1411,        which includes the inmate's name, the inmate's register number,        the transaction date, and the amount of the transaction.

A staff member of the prison institution may also manually initiatefinancial transactions, as shown in FIG. 23. Such transactions mayinclude deposits, withdrawals and exceptions. In step 1420, a staffmember brings up the “ITS-II Transaction Screen” (shown on FIG. 4B),which provides a complete listing of all transactions for a giveninmate. The staff member then selects the “Enter Transaction” option.The FMU checks whether the inmate is in the middle of a telephone calland whether the inmate's account has been locked by another transactionprocess 1421. If either of these are true, the staff member receives amessage that the transaction is not allowed. 1422.

Otherwise, the staff member inputs the data 1423, which includes theinmate's register number, transaction type, amount of transaction, andcomments. If the entered transaction will make the inmate's account gonegative 1424, then a message is displayed to the staff member that thetransaction is not allowed. If the account will still have a positivebalance, then the FMU generates a transaction record, updates theinmate's ITS-II account locally and on the databases on the CentralOperations Facilities' servers 1426, and generates a line for the“Manual Transaction Report” 1427.

Referring now to FIG. 24, there is shown the process of releasing aninmate. In step 1460, a staff member enters the information that aninmate is released, at the “ITS Transactions Screen” at the “Profile”tab (shown in FIG. 4A), by changing status to ‘Z-Released’. The FMUgenerates a release form 1461 and checks whether the inmate's ITS-IIaccount is in use or otherwise locked 1462. If so, a message to thateffect is displayed 1469. If not, the FMU:

-   -   1. locks the account to prevent other processes from accessing        it,    -   2. reduces the ITS-II account balance to zero 1463,    -   3. identifies the account as “disabled” 1464,    -   4. prints a Detail Transaction Report to a local printer 1465,    -   5. access the inmate's Commissary account 1466    -   6. appends a record to the FPPOS temp file for reporting 1467,        and    -   7. adds the prior ITS-II balance to the FPPOS account and places        the new balance in the FPPOS file.        Alternatively, the preferred embodiment could also process        inmate release transactions directly off of the FPPOS system. In        this way, the prison staff would be saved the effort of entering        inmate release information into two separate systems.

Finally, FIG. 25 shows the steps involved in a call charge refund.Inmate refund transactions are entered at the ITS-II Transactions Screen(shown on FIG. 4B) as a “refund” transaction type 1480. The refund datais entered 1481, including the inmate's register number; the phonenumber for which the refund is being given, and the number of minutes tobe refunded. The FMU calculates and displays the amount of the refund.The inmate's ITS-II account is then updated locally and on the databaseson the Central Operations Facilities' servers 1482, and a SummaryTransaction Report is generated 1483, which indicates the inmate's nameand register number, the date and time of the transaction, the date ofthe call, the type of the transaction, the amount of the refund,comments, the telephone number called, and the name of the user whoentered the transaction.

General Service Requirements

The ITS-II architecture supports an inmate population growth to at least150,000 inmates and 150 correctional facilities. The ITS-II provides fordirect dial and collect call traffic at facilities in the United Statesand Puerto Rico limited only by the number of inmate telephone stations.Two Digital Equipment Corporation ALPHA Servers (a trademark of DigitalEquipment Corporation) located at geographically dispersed, secureCentral Operations Facilities will house the full ITS-II database andprovide call processing and administrative access to the data for allBOP facilities. The ITS-II wide area network that provides theconnectivity among the correctional facilities and the CentralOperations Facilities will provide the data path for storing all inmateand call record data from the sites onto the servers in real time. Usingreplication technology, updates to the database on the primary serverwill be sent immediately over the wide area network to update thedatabase on the backup server. Each of these servers has the capacity tostore a minimum of one year of call record history.

The server at the Primary Central Operations Facility will also house alarger database capable of storing a minimum of seven years of inmatedata. This database will contain a copy of the data from the centralinmate database and be dedicated to providing rapid, read-only accessfor running reports and queries.

The Facilities Management Unit (FMU), located at each correctionalfacility, routes and controls inmate calls, maintains uninterruptedcommunications with the Central Operations Facilities servers forstoring call records and transactions and providing database access forthe administrative workstations, and manages communications within thefacility for monitoring and recording calls and supporting the FPPOS andAIMS interfaces.

Also located at each Central Operations Facility is a dedicated networkmanagement server responsible for monitoring all network activity overthe wide area network as well as the local area networks at each of thecorrectional facilities, the Management and Specialty Training Centerand the BOP Central Office.

An electronic mail server for providing e-mail capability among allfacilities including the MSTC and the BOP Central Office and the CentralOperations Facilities servers will be located at the Primary CentralOperations Facility.

In order to develop, deploy and maintain the multi-site telephone systemof the size and complexity specified by the Bureau of Prisons, theinventor developed a specific design and support strategy called“Maximum Uptime Management System” (MUMS). MUMS has governed thedevelopment of every component that contributes to system uptime,including but not limited to: hardware, WAN and LAN architecture,software, and carrier network implementation.

Compliance with Regulatory Agencies

All telecommunications services and equipment are designed to complywith all applicable local, state and federal regulatory requirements.

Call Processing Information

In order to maintain up-to-date call rating and call processinginformation (such as local exchanges, area codes, country codes,vertical and horizontal coordinates, etc), the ITS-II requires an activesubscription to a telecommunications database service. Monthly updatesfrom the service are processed and all relevant changes are transmittedto the central servers and facilities, including the MSTC and the BOPCentral Office.

The ITS-II is also capable of generating a monthly report to eachfacility indicating impending changes to numbers on inmates' allowlists. Optionally, the BOP can elect to provide a permissive dialingperiod to inmates when an allowed number's area code has changed. Duringthe permissive period, an inmate would be able to dial either the oldarea code or the new area code, and the FMU would out dial the new areacode. The FMU would also play a voice message to the inmate to warn ofthe area code change. At the end of the grace period, the inmate's listwould be updated to reflect the new area code.

The Rate Table Maintenance window in the ITS-II graphical user interfaceprovides the BOP with call processing and call rating information foreach correctional facility.

Number Blocking

Calls to telephone numbers that incur excess charges, to long distancecarriers, and to numbers that access long distance carriers, are blockedat three levels:

(1) All NPA/NXX combinations in the rate center file from thetelecommunications database service (described above in the sectionentitled “Call Processing Information”) that are labeled ‘illegal’ areblocked.

(2) The dialing patterns file, used by the FMU for out dialing inmates'calls, designates as illegal any other NPA/NXX combinations requested bythe BOP and not included in the service's monthly rate information.Blocked NPA/NXX combinations in the dialing patterns file for eachcorrectional facility, a group of facilities, or all facilities areentered and modified on the Calling Features tab on the NationalInformation Maintenance and Facility Information Maintenance windows onthe ITS-II graphical user interface.(3) Inmates are restricted to placing 1+NPANXX, 0+NPANXX, and sevendigit local NXX calls. All attempts to dial other patterns are cut off.Dialing patterns for balance inquiries and funds transfers are distinctfrom actual call types and are never routed to CO lines.(4) Local, collect, and international calls to numbers deemed illegal bythe BOP and carrier will be blocked by the carrier.Communications Interfaces

The FMU is configured with the necessary analog and digital interfacesto support connection to industry-accepted telecommunications networkinterfaces required for connectivity to telecommunications carriers tosupport all outbound calling services, including the BOP provided FTSservices. These interfaces support DTMF as well as rotary dialing andinclude support for ground start and loop start trunks. Connection toBOP internal telephone wiring is provided via Amphenol connectors.

In order to reduce the amount of equipment required at each correctionalfacility and improve reliability, the FMU's built-in multiplexer androuter capability will carry the BOP provided 56 Kbps line on a DS0 porton the T1 interface.

Communications Interfaces-Direct T-1 Digital Interface

In order to minimize the space required for the ITS-II and telephoneline interface equipment, the FMU will be directly connected to T-1lines. The serial data stream in a T-1 line can represent up to 24channels of voice and/or data, hence the space savings. No channel banksare required. The FMU is configured with 4 T-1 lines which would allow96 inmate phones to be used at the same time. Expansion capacity up to 6T-1s is included for backup T-1 access. Because there is not a directconnection from the inmate phone to the T-1 line, there can be moreinmate phones than outbound lines.

A switching scheme called time division multiplexing (TDM) is used todynamically match T-1 open slots with new inmate phone calls.

Outbound Only Calls

The FMU will allow inmates to process only outbound calls; conversely,inbound calls are not processed by the FMU. The FMU electronicallyisolates the inmate stations from the carrier networks. Thus, there isno way for an incoming call to be connected to an inmate station.

Outbound Only Calls-Second Dial Tone Calls Prevented

The FMU utilizes four different protection methods for preventinginmates from getting a second dial tone without hanging up the telephoneafter the first call:

(1) The Added Call Detection (ACD) feature is constantly listening forsignals that indicate that the inmate or called party is attempting tobridge a call to a third party or has obtained a new dial tone. Any timean added call attempt is detected, the call is cut off.

(2) The system will detect an open switching interval when the calledparty phone goes on-hook.

(3) Where available, ground start trunks will be ordered from the localexchange carrier. These will prevent inmates from obtaining a seconddial tone without hanging up after a call.

(4) The FMU prevents a direct electrical connection between the stationside and the network side. Thus, the inmate station side is isolatedfrom the network.

Outbound Only Calls-Time to Dial Tone

The FMU is capable of providing an industry standard dial tone to theinmate telephone in less than 100 ms when the receiver is lifted offhook.

Outbound Only Calls-Call Setup and Process Time

The ITS-II is designed to provide the required call setup and processingin less than ten seconds. As soon as the inmate has completed dialing,the call processor will seize the appropriate network trunk and beginthe out dial process while the call is being validated. The callprocessor will hold the last digit until call validation is complete. Ifthe call is denied, the network trunk will be dropped before the lastdigit is out dialed. If the call is allowed, call processing willcontinue.

Outbound Only Calls-Maximum Ring Time

By default, the maximum ring time for all calls will be set to twominutes. If the FMU does not receive answer supervision within twominutes after a call is out dialed to the network, it will drop thetrunk and play a voice message to the inmate indicating that the calledparty did not answer. The “maximum ring time” feature can be adjustedeither nationally or on a site by site basis.

Outbound Only Calls-Call Process Notification

An inmate is notified of the progress of a call as follows: Once adirect dial or collect call requiring called party acceptance has beenapproved, a call progress message is played to the inmate to indicatethat the call is in progress. Informational messages are played atringing intervals. If the called party phone is busy, the FMU plays abusy signal to the inmate telephone. The inmate is electronicallyisolated from the network until the called party has explicitly acceptedthe call.

When the FMU approves a direct dial that does not required called partyacceptance, it connects the inmate station to the network trunk, and theinmate hears the actual call progress tones.

Outbound Only Calls-Call Answer Notification

As soon as the FMU receives “answer supervision,” i.e. as soon as thecalled party picks up her phone and says “hello”, the FMU begins playingthe necessary voice interaction scripts to the called party. It replaysthem until the called party responds or until the maximum accept timeexpires. These messages vary depending on the type of call. Collect callmessages announce the carrier and the inmate's pre-recorded name andprovide instructions for accepting or refusing charges for the call. Ifacceptance by the called party is required for direct dial calls, theFMU plays the inmate's pre-recorded name and provides instructions foraccepting or refusing to speak with the inmate.

Outbound Only Calls-Separation of Voice Path Until Call Acceptance

For all collect calls and direct dial calls that required called partyacceptance, the FMU maintains the electronic isolation between theinmate station and the network trunk until the call has been accepted bythe called party. The FMU then establishes the connection between theinmate station to the selected network trunk and announces to bothparties that they are connected.

Electrical Conditioning

The need for maximum protection in the event of service outages was amajor factor in the development of the ITS-II architecture. The ITS-IIMaximum Uptime Management Strategy (MUMS) electrical conditioning designhas been incorporated into the Primary Central Operations Facility, theBackup Operations Facility and the equipment at each of the Bureau'scorrectional facilities. The design of the FMU is the result of severalyears of experience with a full range of environmental and electricalconditions. The hardware design of the FMU takes into consideration theneed to provide a constant DC voltage regardless of the externalconditions such as outages, surges and reduced voltage.

Electrical Conditioning—Conditioning Equipment

Each component at the primary Central Operations Facility, the BackupOperations Facility and each correctional facility is protected frompower outages, electrical surges, reduced voltages, and/or poorelectrical qualities with surge protection strips and un-interruptiblepower supplies. A backup generator is located at the Primary CentralOperations Facility.

The FMU is configured with an integrated UPS and AC-charged battery thatprovides total isolation from the power source and two hours of backupin the event of a power outage. In addition, the internal UPS filters ACpower line transients for added protection from power surges.

The FMU's dual power supply is designed to operate over a wide range ofinput voltages. In the event one of the power supplies fails, the otheris already online to take over automatically.

The central office quality line interface includes gas discharge tubesand PTC self-resetting fuses on all telephone line interfaces (inmatestation and network), in order to provide surge protection from thenetwork as well as inmate phone stations. The FMU also has thecapability to monitor and generate alerts for phone line connectivity,system temperature, power supply, and battery condition. Should a faultoccur, the FMU will report the trouble to the PCOF and activate thefault LED on the failed interface card. If the trouble cannot beresolved remotely, a field technician, on arrival at the site, will bedirected to the trouble by the fault LED.

Electrical Conditioning-Recovery from Power Outage

The FMU will be protected by a 2-hour UPS. All other components arecovered by UPS for power outages of 20 minutes. Automatic shutdownroutines provided by the UPS's protect the equipment from longer poweroutages. The servers, workstations, FMUs, and routers will recover frompower outages automatically. The operating system that runs the callprocessor on the FMU re-boots as soon as power is restored and restartsall of the processes required to resume normal call processing. Inaddition, the FMU's static memory with battery backup provides a meansfor recovering call detail information at the time of the outage.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements

The ITS-II has the capability of providing voice message announcementsto the inmate, to the called party or to both the inmate and the calledparty at any time during a call. Once the exact wording of the messagesis determined, the message is recorded, stored on the primary and backupservers, and downloaded to the FMUs at each correctional facility aswell as the MSTC and the BOP Central Office. The BOP has the ability tochange these messages.

In addition, the ITS-II graphical user interface will provide BOPadministrative personnel with the ability to listen to the voicemessages from the administrative workstations.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Deny Future Calls

When the “deny future calls” feature is set to yes for a call type(collect, direct dial, both, or free call), the FMU will play anadditional instruction providing the called party with the opportunityto deny all future calls of that call type from the inmate placing thecall. If the called party selects this option by dialing the designateddigit, the call is denied and a called party deny flag is placed on thedialed number in the inmate's telephone number list for that call type.The flag prevents the number from being re-activated for the inmate byusers other than those with a BOP specified access level.

The BOP can turn the “deny future calls” feature on and off using theCalling Feature tab on the National Information Maintenance window ofthe ITS-II graphical user interface. At the discretion of the Bureau,this feature can be set nationally or by facility for collect and/ordebit calls. The ability to modify this feature is determined by theuser's access level.

In addition, the ITS-II includes a feature disclosed in Gainsboro U.S.Pat. No. 5,655,013, which is called the GOTU™ feature. This featureallows the called party to dial ‘4688’ (GOTU™) on a DTMF phone at anytime during the conversation with the inmate (after accepting the callif positive call acceptance is required). The FMU constantly monitorsthe line for extra dialed digits. As soon as it detects the ‘4688’pattern, it cuts off the call and puts a called party deny flag on thedialed number in the inmate's telephone number list indicating thecalled party's refusal and preventing the number from being re-activatedfor the inmate by users other than those with a BOP specified accesslevel.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Bilingual Messages

Messages played to the called party for both debit and collect calls canbe played in the language (English or Spanish) specified by the inmatefor that number in the inmate's telephone number list. In addition, theITS-II can be configured to prompt the called party to enter thelanguage preference upon receipt of a call requiring positiveacceptance. In so doing, the called party can control the language inwhich the voice messages are played.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Form of Called Party Response

The ITS-II has the capability of accepting either keypad input or voiceresponse from the called party. The called party will be offered thechoice of accepting a call by dialing the prescribed accept DTMF orrotary digit or by saying “yes”.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Intermittent Message

The ITS-II has the capability to interject messages into a telephonecall at random intervals, based on the settings of the “playintermittent message” feature. When this feature is turned on for acall, the FMU interjects the message into the call at the specifiedintervals. Using the Class of Service tab on the ITS-II graphical userinterface, the BOP has the ability to turn this feature on and off andto modify the intervals at which the message is played as well as thecall types for which the message is played.

At the discretion of the BOP, this feature can be turned on and offnationally, on a site by site basis, by individual inmate, by group ofinmates, by inmate telephone, or by specific allowed telephone number.The ability to modify this feature is determined by the user's accesslevel.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Call Type Announcement

The ITS-II will play the appropriate message to the called partydepending on the type of call. This message will always be played forcollect calls. The message that a call is direct dial will be played ifthe “play direct dial message” feature is turned on. This feature can beturned on and off by the BOP using the Class of Service tab on theITS-II graphical user interface.

The BOP may also elect to turn this feature on and off nationally, byfacility, by individual inmate, by group of inmates, by inmatetelephone, by call type or by specific allowed telephone number. Theability to modify this feature is determined by the user's access level.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Call Origin Announcement

The ITS-II has the capability of providing an announcement message tothe called party at specified intervals that the call is originatingfrom a Federal Prison. The BOP can turn the “call branding” feature onand off for collect and/or direct dial calls using the Class of Servicetab on the ITS-II graphical user interface.

The BOP may also elect to turn this feature on and off nationally, byfacility, by individual inmate, by group of inmates, by inmatetelephone, by call type, or by specific allowed telephone number. Theability to modify this feature is determined by the user's access level.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Name of Called PartyAnnouncement

The FMU has the capability of playing to the called party the name ofthe calling party for all calls requiring positive acceptance by thecalled party. The BOP can turn the “record inmate name” feature on andoff for collect and/or debit calls using the Class of Service tab on theITS-II graphical user interface.

When the “record inmate name” feature is turned on for a call, and theinmate name has not yet been recorded, the FMU will prompt the inmate tostate his/her name at the tone. A two second window is provided for thename recording. When the call is announced to the called party, the FMUplays the inmate's recorded name. If the call is accepted, the inmate'srecorded name is then stored on the hard disks on the FMU as well as onthe primary and backup servers. When the “record inmate name” feature isturned off for a call, the FMU prompts the inmate to state his/her nameat the tone and then plays that name to the called party.

The BOP may also elect to turn this feature on and off nationally, byfacility, by individual inmate, by group of inmates, by inmatetelephone, by call type, or by specific allowed telephone number. Theability to modify this feature is determined by the user's access level.

In addition, the FMU provides the BOP with the ability to listen to aninmate's recorded name and set a flag requiring the inmate to recordhis/her name the next time he/she places a call.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Call Acceptance Instructions

As soon as the FMU receives answer supervision from the called party, itplays the call announcement messages appropriate for the call type. Forcollect calls, it identifies the call and the carrier and plays themessages selected by the BOP followed by instructions for accepting,refusing, and permanently refusing the call, if that feature is turnedon. For example: “This is [carrier name]. You have a collect call from[inmate name] [optional call branding message]. If you would like toaccept the charges for this call, please dial [accept digit] or say“yes” now. If you would like to refuse all future collect calls fromthis inmate, dial [refuse digit]. If you do not wish to accept thiscall, hang up now.”

For direct dial calls, the FMU plays the messages selected by the BOPfollowed by instructions for accepting, refusing, and permanentlyrefusing the call, if that feature is turned on. For example: “You havea direct dial call from [inmate name] [optional call branding message].You will not be charged for this call. If you would like to receive thiscall, please dial [accept digit] or say “yes” now. If you would like torefuse all future direct dial calls from this inmate, dial [refusedigit] now. If you do not wish to accept this call, hang up now.”

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Proceed Talking Instruction

When the called party has accepted a collect or direct dial call, theFMU plays a message announcing to both the called party and the inmatethat they are connected and that they may begin their conversation. Atthe same time, it establishes the connection between the inmate and thecalled party.

Called Party Voice Message Announcements-Collect Call Rate Announcement

The ITS-II will provide the called party with the option of obtainingthe collect call rate prior to accepting the call. The first time a callis completed to a dialed number, the following message is played: “Thisis [carrier name]. You have a collect call from [inmate name] [optionalcall branding message]. To receive rate information regarding this call,press [information digits] or stay on the line. To accept the chargesfor this call, dial [accept digit] or say “yes” now.”

A different message is played for subsequent calls to the same dialednumber: “This is [carrier name]. You have a collect call from [inmatename] [optional call branding message]. To accept the charges for thiscall, dial [accept digit] or say “yes” now. To receive rate informationregarding this call, press [rate information digits] or stay on theline.”

If the called party elects to hear the collect call rate prior toaccepting the call, the appropriate message will be played to ask theinmate to continue to hold while the call is processed. If the inmatehangs up before the rate message has been played, the message will beplayed in its entirety, and the FMU will inform the called party thatthe inmate has hung up and there will be no charge for the call.

Trunk Group Availability

The ITS-II as designed contains sufficient FMU hardware and other ITS-IIhardware to ensure the probability of blocking a call by an inmate doesnot exceed ten percent during the busiest hour at any institution.

The ITS-II can maintain call record data regarding the call types ofcalls denied due to all trunks busy. This information can be formattedin a monthly report to determine which call types are close to or exceedthe minimum of ten percent call blocking.

Trunk Rotation

The ITS-II provides trunk rotation by call type on a next trunkavailable basis. When an inmate places a call, the FMU will route thecall to the next available trunk of that call type (direct dial orcollect local, direct long distance, etc.).

The FMU is configured such that there is not a one-to-one relationshipbetween an inmate station and a network trunk. An outbound trunk isassigned to an inmate phone when an inmate places a call from thatphone.

Call processing flowcharts are provided in FIGS. 6 through 17. See abovefor detailed descriptions.

Voice Quality

The FMU has been designed to meet or exceed all appropriate industrystandards for transmitted and received levels, noise, cross-talk, andfrequency range, including Bellcore, IEEE, ANSI, NIST, and FIPS. Thevoice quality level will be unaffected by any other ITS-II features,functions, or capabilities.

Direct Dial Service

The ITS-II debits inmate accounts on a per minute basis in real-time forcharges for all completed inmate initiated direct dial calls. There areno additional inmate charges for direct dial services; inmates are not“billed” for direct dial services.

Rates

The BOP can enter the per minute BOP charge to be added to the directdial rate for each direct dial call type using the Rate TableMaintenance window on the ITS-II graphical user interface. The windowwill include the subscription-based ITS-II direct dial rates as readonly, provide data entry fields for the BOP charge for each call typeand the date the rates are to be effective, and display the total perminute rate to be charged to inmates for each call type as the sum ofITS-II rate and the BOP charge. The BOP has the ability to set rates inadvance to take effect automatically at midnight on the effective date.

The ITS-II sets a call countdown timer for each direct dial call basedon the inmate's class of service as well as system and site callingparameters. As soon as a direct dial call is completed (i.e., when thecalled party answers or accepts the call if positive acceptance isrequired), the ITS-II starts the call timer and debits the inmateaccount by the cost of one minute for the call type. The FMU continuesto debit the inmate's account every minute until the end of the call.

General Direct Dial Service Requirements

When the “accept required for direct dial” feature is turned on, theconnection between the inmate station and the central office trunk willnot be made nor will the inmate be charged until the called partyaccepts the call by dialing the accept digit or saying “yes”. When thefeature is turned off, the FMU connects the inmate station and thecentral office trunk upon approval of the call.

Charges for the call begin as soon as the call is answered by the calledparty.

The “accept required for direct dial” feature can be turned on and offby the BOP using the Class of Service tab on the ITS-II graphical userinterface.

At the discretion of the BOP, this feature can be set nationally, byfacility, for an individual inmate or group of inmates, telephonenumbers, or for specific inmate telephones. The ability to modify thisfeature is determined by the user's access level.

The FMU will stop debiting the inmate's account when one of thefollowing conditions is met:

(1) The FMU receives an end of call signal from the network trunk or theinmate station indicating that the calling or called party has hung up.

(2) The call duration timer has expired indicating that the inmate doesnot have sufficient funds to continue the call, the maximum duration forthe call has expired, or the call is at the end of a calling schedule.

(3) The call is cut off because of extra dialed digits, the called partydials GOTU™, an administrator cuts off the call, or the inmate or calledparty has violated any other system specified call restriction.

The ITS-II provides a means for adopting out dial patterns to the FMU(s)for each call type as well as for selected area code and exchangecombinations. This method provides maximum flexibility for meeting theneeds of the BOP as well as for meeting ever-changing industryrequirements. Each call type has its own dialing pattern used by the FMUto route calls. In addition to specifying the type of trunk for routinga call, such as FTS, local, collect, or international, the dialingpattern can also specify any additional routing codes required by thecarrier, such as FTS authorization codes. These codes can consist of anynumber of digits and can be out dialed in any sequence (e.g. before thedialed number or after the dialed number) should the FTS2000authorization code requirements change.

The Dialing Patterns tab on the Facility Information window on theITS-II graphical user interface provides the BOP Central Office with ameans for editing the FTS authorization code for each correctionalfacility. There is a field on the tab for activating and deactivatingthe code.

If an authorization code is deactivated or not entered for a site, thecode will not be out dialed to the FTS network.

Digital signal processors on the FMU will be used to detect Special.Information Tones. When a SIT is detected, the inmate is not charged forthe call. To prevent the possibility of an inmate accessing a liveoperator following a SIT from the network trunk, the “SIT action”feature can be set to cut off calls using the Calling Features tab onthe ITS-II graphical user interface.

All direct dial long distance calls will be routed to the BOP providedFTS circuits.

Local Direct Dial Service

The ITS-II requires a subscription to a telecommunications databaseservice in order to obtain pay phone calling area information on amonthly basis. The calling area data is used to provide monthly updatesto the local calling areas table for all sites on the central databaseand at each site. The FMU then uses that information to identify adialed number as local. For those sites not covered by the databaseservice, the facility maintenance personnel must obtain the informationdirectly from the local exchange carriers on a monthly basis.

In addition, the ITS-II maintenance personnel will maintain anexceptions table for those sites where the local exchange carriercalling area data differs from the data provided by the service. Thistable will be modified for changes to local calling areas that occurbetween the monthly updates. BOP users with the appropriate access levelwill also have the ability to add and delete area code and exchangecombinations to the exceptions table for a site using the Local CallingArea Maintenance window on the ITS-II graphical user interface.

Once the FMU has identified a dialed number as a local call, it routesthe call out the next available local trunk. The call is rated on a perminute basis using the rates specified on the Rate Table Maintenancewindow on the ITS-II graphical user interface.

International Direct Dial Service

The Approved Telephone Number Search Report (described below in thesection entitled “Approved Telephone Number Search Report”) includes asearch criterion for approved toll free access numbers. The reportoutput includes the inmate register number, inmate name, and approvedtoll free access numbers.

The Telephone Number Usage Report (described below in the sectionentitled “Telephone Number Usage Report”) includes a search criterionfor calls made to toll free numbers. The report includes the calldetails, including inmate name and register number, of all calls to tollfree numbers meeting the selection criteria specified.

Toll Free Access

The Calling Features tab on the National and Facility InformationMaintenance windows on the ITS-II graphical user interface provides BOPwith the ability to block all calls to toll free numbers, includinglocal access toll free numbers. In order to allow certain inmates theability to place calls to designated toll free numbers, the BOP canoverride the block by turning on the “toll free allowed” feature forindividual inmates or groups of inmates. When the “toll free allowed”feature is turned on for an inmate, that inmate will be restricted tocalling toll free numbers that are on the inmate's allowed number list.

At the discretion of the BOP, the “toll free access allowed” feature canbe turned on and off nationally, on a site by site basis, by individualinmate, by group of inmates, by inmate telephone, or by specific allowedtelephone number. The ability to modify this feature is determined bythe user's access level.

The Approved Telephone Number Search Report (described in sectionentitled “Approved Telephone Number Search Report”, below) will includea search criterion for approved toll free access numbers. The reportoutput will include the inmate register number, inmate name, andapproved toll free access numbers.

The Telephone Number Usage Report (described in the section entitled“Telephone Number Usage Report”, below) will include a search criterionfor calls made to toll free numbers. The report will include the calldetails, including inmate name and register number, of all calls to tollfree numbers meeting the selection criteria specified.

Collect Call Service

The ITS-II does not use human operators at any point during collect callprocessing. The ITS-II can be configured to support human operators.

For all collect calls, the connection between the inmate station and thenetwork trunk will not be made nor will billing commence until thecalled party accepts the call by dialing the accept digit or saying“yes”.

Called party billing for a collect call will stop when one of thefollowing conditions is met: (1) the FMU receives an end of call signalfrom the network trunk or the inmate station; (2) the call durationtimer has expired indicating that, the maximum duration for the call hasexpired, the inmate has exceeded his/her collect call minutes for thegiven time period, or the call is at the end of the system, facility orinmate schedule.

(3) the call is cut off because of extra dialed digits, the called partydials GOTU™, an administrator cuts off the call, or the inmate or calledparty has violated any other system specified call restriction.

The ITS-II provides the following services for collect calls. The ITS-IIcollect records for billing and out-clearing. The ITS-II performs realtime (LIDB) verification through a (LIDB) gateway. In addition to theBOP stated requirements, the ITS-II is also configured to support thenew Locked-Martin Local Number Portability (LNP) database for accuratebilling of collect calls as Local Number Portability is deployed.

Wide Area Network

Connectivity among the ITS-II equipment at federal correctionalfacilities and support for system-wide ITS-II administrative operationaland functional capability is achieved by a TCP/IP based wide areanetwork that is designed to meet or exceed the BOP's requirements forfault tolerance and no single point of failure.

Equipment is located at each correctional facility, the MSTC, the BOPCentral Office, the primary Central Operations Facility, and the backupCentral Operations Facility. Since routing for the wide area network atthe correctional facilities is built into the FMU, separate routers arenot required at the facilities. The data circuit for a site is carriedon one time-slot of an FTS2000 T-1, and this T-1 circuit is connecteddirectly to the FMU. However, the FMU also supports the use of aseparate and distinct data circuit: Routers are located at the CentralOperations Facilities.

The inventor has selected Hewlett-Packard's OpenView (A trademark ofHewlett-Packard) platform for the ITS-II network management system. Thenetwork management system runs on a dedicated server at each of theCentral Operations Facilities. The network management system isresponsible for monitoring the operational aspects of each node on thenetwork and its associated components. This includes: the primary andbackup database servers, the archive server, the mail server, therouters at the Central Operations Facilities, the FMUs at the sites, thelocal area networks and intelligent hubs at the sites, and theworkstations at the sites.

The OpenView platform addresses this requirement as follows:

network startup: The OpenView platform is able to do automatic devicediscovery, simplifying the creation of the network management database.

monitoring: The OpenView platform uses the Simple Network ManagementProtocol (SNMP) to query agents on the servers, FMUs and intelligenthubs, and can display information such as packet counts and systemstatistics both as instantaneous values and as trends over various timeperiods. If the queries to a device fail, or if the results indicate aproblem, OpenView automatically alerts a network administrator (using apager if necessary).

maintenance and operations: The OpenView platform, in conjunction withper-device interfaces, provides the ability to do operations such asadding or changing data circuit configuration and enabling and checkingloop-back mode on data circuits.

The ITS-II WAN will be configured to use one 56 Kbit/s FTS2000 DedicatedTransmission Service link between the Primary Central OperationsFacility and each correctional facility, including the MSTC and the BOPCentral Office. An additional link of 1.5 Mbit/s will be required toconnect the primary and backup Central Operations Facilities.

The ITS-II WAN is built around DARPA Internet technology, one of whoseprimary goals is the ability to build highly fault tolerant networks.All routers in the ITS-II WAN will run the OSPF routing protocol whichallows rapid discovery of redundant data paths in case of primary pathfailure.

The WAN components are:

Site FMU, acting as a router to the site LAN (the BOP Central Office andthe MSTC are treated as ordinary sites in this respect)

56 Kbit/s dedicated data circuit via FTS2000 from each site to theprimary Central Operations Facility

Primary Cisco router at the primary Central Operations Facility

Hot-spare Cisco router at the primary Central Operations Facility

Computer controlled switch for data circuits at the primary CentralOperations Facility

1.5 Mbit/s dedicated data circuit via FTS2000 between the primary andbackup Central Operations Facility

Cisco router at the backup Central Operations Facility

Modem at each site which can place calls over normal FTS2000 or carriertrunks

Pool of 24 modems at the primary Central Operations Facility

The data circuits coming into the primary Central Operations Facilityare all normally connected to the primary Cisco router. The computercontrolled switch allows the primary Central Operations Facility serverto switch all of the data circuits to the hot-spare Cisco router.

Under this design, the WAN has no single point of failure:

If the data circuit to a site fails, the FMU will automatically place acall to the modem pool and establish a PPP connection. The remainingdata circuits will continue to function normally.

If the primary Cisco router fails, the primary Central OperationsFacility server will change the computer controlled switch to connectall circuits to the hot-spare Cisco router.

The time between a failure and the re-establishment of normal operationsis less than five minutes. During network downtime, call processingcontinues uninterrupted; the FMUs maintain a local copy of all accounts,balances and restrictions so all ITS-II call processing features remainin full effect. When call records cannot be delivered immediately to theCentral Operations Facility, they are buffered on the FMU disk and areautomatically transmitted as soon as the data link becomes available. Inaddition, the call monitoring stations will continue showing calls inprogress and providing as usual the ability to audibly monitor anyselected inmate calls. The only function lost during network failure isadministrative access to accounts.

When making dial up PPP connections, the ITS-II normally uses voicecircuits on the FTS2000 network. The ITS-II can also be configured tomake PPP connections via voice circuits on the carrier network if theFTS2000 network is not available.

All of the data link backup operations take place at a low level in theTCP/IP protocol and are transparent to users and applications, except asa delay. As described above, real-time call processing will be entirelyunaffected. Workstation users will see any windows accessing the CentralOperations Facility freeze when the data link goes down, thenspontaneously resume operation when connectivity is restored. A user whodoes not want to wait for the data link to come back up may abort thecurrent session locally, thereby preventing later unauthorized use ofhis session.

The Network Management system will be duplicated at the primary andbackup Central Operations Facility. It will continually test eachnetwork connection, and will alert a customer service technician ifthere is a problem. The Central Operations Facility servers will monitorthe Network Management Systems and will page Customer Service if it goesdown.

HP OpenView workstations will be installed at the primary and backupCentral Operations Facility, and at the BOP Central Office. Theseworkstations will monitor the entire network continuously, collectingand displaying real-time network information from every device. Inaddition to monitoring the WAN, workstations installed at the primaryand backup Central Operations Facility will be configured with theability to set parameters as part of WAN maintenance.

The HP OpenView Network Management Platform continuously monitors thehealth of the entire network, collecting real-time network informationfrom every device and displaying that data on a detailed map.

This map allows a user to view a graphical representation of the networkdisplaying the current status of all network nodes and devices on theLAN and WAN and allowing the user to step through the network in ahierarchy of views representing subnetworks and basic networkcomponents. These components will be displayed as “clickable” icons ofvarious colors, depending on their status.

HP OpenView provides real-time remote management of all DMI compliantworkstations on the LAN. DMI extensions permit features such as healthmonitoring as well as network administrative alerting to allow forviewing of potential errors and problems. HP OpenView also provides fullsupport for monitoring workstations which utilize the IPX protocol aswell as TCP/IP.

The performance of a LAN's network can be further monitored through theHub with full SNMP manageability. The Embedded Advanced SamplingEnvironment agent enables intelligent network traffic monitoring,performance optimization, and trend analysis capability for the LANs,without overly burdening the WAN. The main computers and associatedequipment will also be fully managed by the use of HP OpenViewapplication software as well as vendor supplied management softwarespecifically designed for management of large scale servers and high endrouters.

The inventor uses a Maximum Uptime Management System (MUMS)-based RemoteTrouble Diagnostic and Trouble Identification System for hardware,allowing maintenance personnel to remotely diagnose any problems fromthe highest system level down to the phone level. The LAN design using10baseT Ethernet and Smart Hub technology allows the ITS-II networkmanagement software to verify connectivity all the way to the individualworkstations.

The WAN primarily uses the TCP/IP protocol, and uses the software builtinto the operating systems on the Central Operations Facility computers,the FMUs and the workstations. Ethernet hubs are provided at the sites,as well as Ethernet controllers for the workstations.

The inventor has selected the Kerberos network security system for theITS-II WAN. The Kerberos system was designed at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology starting in the early 1980's specifically toaddress the security needs of client/server networks. It is widely usedin the computer industry, and is directly supported by Oracle, thesupplier of the ITS-II's database, and Digital Equipment Corporation,the supplier of the main ITS-II servers.

Kerberos does an excellent job of hiding the complexities of thecryptographic protocols from the users. In general, a user logs in withan ID and a password, and then has access to all appropriate networkresources. Behind the scenes, Kerberos arranges to prove the identity ofthe user to all of the various servers that the user may access in asession. It does this without requiring the user to retype the password,and without storing the reusable password on the workstation or sendingit over the network. The authentication protocol is designed to preventboth passive attackers (who might use a packet sniffer to captureauthentication tokens and attempt to re-play them), and active attackers(who attempt to interpose themselves between the client and the server).

Kerberos provides an optional feature to use DES to encrypt all databetween a client and server, and the ITS-II will enable this option forall connections.

The dial up modems will be configured to accept only PPP connections,and thus will be protected by Kerberos authentication and DES encryptionas well.

Management of Inmate Telephone Accounts

The ITS-II graphical user interface provides the necessary windows forviewing and reporting on inmate account information, inmate call recorddetail and inmate financial transaction detail by authorized BOP usersimmediately upon completion of the transaction. Changes to inmateaccount information and inmate access to telephones are: (a) input onthe ITS-II graphical user interface windows at workstations located atthe correctional facilities, the BOP Central Office, and the MSTC, (b)stored on the database on the Central Operations Facility server, (c)downloaded to the inmate database on the FMU, and (d) replicated in realtime to the database on the backup Central Operations Facility serverand to the archive database. Inmate telephone account financialtransactions and inmate transfers between correctional facilities areprocessed by the FMU and stored on the databases on the CentralOperations Facility server and the backup Central Operations Facilityserver and copied to the archive database. Call detail records aregenerated immediately upon completion of inmate telephone calls andstored on the databases on the Central Operations Facility server andthe backup Central Operations Facility server and copied to the archivedatabase. Call records and financial transactions are also storedlocally on the FMU for a minimum of 30 days.

Inmate Account Information

The Inmate Information Maintenance window contains inmate account headerinformation and a file folder with tabs for querying, viewing andediting Inmate Profile Information, Inmate Telephone Numbers, FinancialTransaction Information, Telephone Call Information, and Class ofService Information. All display fields are capable of being used forentering queries against the inmate database.

Inmate account header information is always visible, regardless of whichtab is displayed. Access to each tab is determined by the user's accesslevel. Users will see only those tabs to which they have been grantedaccess. Any time a user changes inmate account information, the ITS-IIstores the information on the central inmate database and copies thechanges to the FMU at the facility to which the inmate is assigned.

Inmate Profile Information

All inmate profile information described in the sections below will bemaintained on tables on the ITS-II database. The ITS-II database runs onan Oracle Relational Database Management System and resides on theCentral Operations Facility, Backup Central Operations Facility and inthe archive database. This RDBMS provides all of the ingredients of acentralized database the scale of the ITS-II inmate database: dataintegrity, true client/server architecture, database and networksecurity, audit capabilities, and a flexible, scalable applicationdevelopment environment.

An example of the Inmate Profile Screen is given in FIG. 4A.

Inmate Profile Information-Inmate Register Number

The inmate's register number is entered and displayed on the headerportion of the Inmate Information Maintenance window and is configuredin the manner required by the BOP. The ITS-II graphical user interfacedisplays the first five digits followed by a hyphen and the remainingthree digits. When entering register numbers, the hyphen is displayed onthe window and is not required for input. The inmate's register numberis displayed regardless of which tab on the window is active. The ITS-IIgraphical user interface includes a separate menu function for changingan inmate's register number. When an inmate's register number ischanged, all data for that inmate will reflect the new register number,including call records and transactions.

Inmate Profile Information-Inmate Name

The inmate's name is displayed on the Inmate Information Maintenancewindow in three fields, last name, first name and middle name.Similarly, each part of the inmate's name is saved a separate field onthe database. The last name is stored and displayed in a 35 character orlonger data field. The first and middle names is stored and displayed in15 character or longer data fields. The inmate's name is displayedregardless of which tab on the window is active.

Inmate Profile Information-Correctional Facility

The facility code identifying the correctional facility to which theinmate is assigned is displayed on the header portion of the InmateInformation window. Using the Facilities tab on the National InformationMaintenance window, the BOP Central Office can assign each correctionalfacility a three character designation to be used with the ITS-II. Thisdesignation, or facility code, is displayed as read-only to allcorrectional facility staff. All financial transactions and call recordsare stamped with the facility code of the correctional facility fromwhich they were entered. The facility code will be used to identify allinmate data on the database by correctional facility. BOP staff have theability to transfer access to inmate accounts among correctionalfacilities by initiating a transfer transaction. A transfer transactionchanges the facility code for an inmate's account information. Aninmate's financial transactions and call records will not betransferred.

Inmate Profile Information-Living Unit

The Inmate Profile tab on the Inmate Account Information window includesa 15 character living unit field. This field will be described in thedatabase as an optional field. Therefore, entry of the field on thewindow will not be required. Each correctional facility has thecapability of creating its own pick list of living units. When a livingunit is entered on an inmate's profile, it will be selected from adrop-down list box.

Inmate Profile Information-Comments

The Inmate Profile tab includes a 1000 character text box for enteringcomments related to an inmate's ITS-II account and storing them on theinmate database.

Inmate Profile Information-Language Preference

The Inmate Profile tab on Inmate Information Maintenance window includesa drop-down list box for selecting a language preference of English orSpanish for the inmate. Users can select a language preference byclicking on the language or by entering the first letter of the languageand pressing tab or clicking on a different field. All ITS-II voicemessages will be played to the inmate in the language selected.

Inmate Profile Information-Alert

The Inmate Profile tab on the Inmate Information Maintenance windowincludes a check box for placing alerts on all calls placed by theinmate. When the alert box is checked on an inmate's profile, an alertflag is saved on the inmate database for the inmate along with theaccess level of the user who placed the alert. When the inmate places acall, an alert will be sounded to all users logged in with the sameaccess level as the user who placed the alert. In addition, the callwill be highlighted and flashed on the Calls in Progress display windowof those users. An alert indicator will also be stored in the callrecord indicating the type of alert (inmate, telephone number, or both).This information will be used for reporting alerts as specified by theAlert Notification Report described in the section entitled “AlertNotification Report”, below.

Inmate Profile Information-Account Activation Date

When an inmate's ITS-II account is created using the Inmate InformationMaintenance window, the date of the account creation is stored in theinmate database. The activation date is displayed on the Inmate Profiletab as read-only to users of all access levels.

Inmate Profile Information-Date of Arrival

The inmate database maintains a separate field containing the inmate'sdate of arrival at a new institution. When a transfer transaction(transfer out and transfer in) is entered for an inmate, the ITS-II willautomatically update the inmate's date of arrival. This field will bedisplayed on the Inmate Profile tab as read-only to users of all accesslevels.

Inmate Profile Information-Status Code

The Inmate Information window includes a drop-down list box forselecting a status code. The list box will contain the digits 0 to nineand the letters A–Z. Users will also have the option of typing thestatus code. The field then restricts users to inputting the digits zeroto nine and the letters A to Z. By default, inmates will be assigned astatus of A when their accounts are created. When a release transactionis entered for an inmate account, the inmate's status will automaticallybe set to Z on the database.

Inmate Profile Information-Suspension

The Inmate Profile tab includes a field for entering a temporarysuspension of inmate calling privileges. BOP staff are able to suspendan inmate's calling privileges by entering the number of days for thesuspension and the start date of the suspension. The suspension willtake effect immediately. The date the suspension ends is calculated bythe ITS-II and will appear as a read-only enable date on the InmateProfile tab. The inmate's calling privileges will be reinstatedautomatically at midnight on the calculated end date of the suspension.

The Inmate Profile tab also includes a button for reviewing an inmate'ssuspension history. Each time an inmate is suspended, the suspensiondate and number of days are stored in the inmate database. When theSuspension History button is pressed, a pop-up window displays ascrolling list of past suspensions for the inmate.

Inmate Profile Information-Telephone List

BOP staff can access an inmate's allowed telephone number list from theTelephone Numbers tab on the Inmate Information Maintenance window. TheInmate Telephone Numbers tab includes fields pertaining to the list,such as the number of active allow numbers an inmate can have andwhether or not the inmate has special list privileges. The tab alsocontains the following tabs for controlling the display of the telephonenumbers: All, Allowed, Denied, Inactive. Users can elect to query, viewand modify all numbers on an individual inmate's telephone number list,all allowed numbers, all denied numbers, and all inactive numbers. TheInmate Telephone Numbers list contains radio buttons for sorting thelist of numbers. The ability to modify an inmate's telephone number listwill be determined by the user's access level.

When the Telephone Numbers tab is active, the Report Generation buttonon the toolbar displays the Telephone Number List report generationwindow that allows users to print the Telephone Number Listing Reportfor the inmate whose list is displayed or to specify the inmate accountswhose telephone lists are to be included in the report.

In addition, the Facility Information Maintenance window for eachfacility includes a tab for maintaining the special list of telephonenumbers that inmates with the special list feature enabled can call inaddition to the numbers on their individual allow lists.

The ITS-II supports inmate telephone number lists of at least 30 numbersper inmate. However, the ITS-II database will support as many numbers asrequired by the BOP.

The list of Telephone Numbers contains a column indicating if a numberis allowed, denied (including refused by the called party), or inactive(i.e. removed from the allowed list). A denied number can only bedeleted or re-enabled by BOP staff with the appropriate access level.When a denied number is deleted or re-enabled, a dialog box prompts theuser to confirm the action. Denied numbers are not counted towards thetotal number of active telephone numbers.

The Telephone Numbers tab at the national level, facility level andinmate level includes a field for entering the amount of active numbersallowed for inmates nationwide, site-wide or by individual inmate. Thedefault for each site is the national value. If a different value isentered for the facility, it overrides the national value. The defaultfor each inmate is the value set for the correctional facility. If adifferent value is entered for an inmate, it overrides the value for thefacility.

Telephone numbers are displayed in a scrolling list on the TelephoneNumbers tabs. The count of allowed numbers on the list is displayed onall Telephone Numbers tabs. The count is updated as allowed numbers areentered into the list. When a number is entered, the ITS-II verifiesthat the number is unique for the inmate. If the number is a duplicate,the ITS-II sounds an alert to the workstation and displays a dialog boxexplaining the error and prompting the user to select the action theITS-II should take (such as cancel, allow the previous settings for thenumber to be overridden.)

The Allowed Numbers tab on the Telephone Numbers tab displays ascrolling list of telephone numbers and the information for each of thenumbers in the order indicated by the sort radio buttons. BOP staff willuse the list to enter, modify and delete numbers for individual inmates.The ability to modify the telephone numbers list is determined by theuser's access level.

Telephone List-Allow Calls to Numbers on Special List

The Inmate Telephone Numbers tab includes a check box for allowinginmates to call numbers on the Special Numbers list in addition to thenumbers on their individual allow lists. The Special Numbers list can beviewed and modified on the Telephone Numbers tab on the FacilityInformation window.

Telephone List-Telephone Number Information

The Telephone Numbers tab displays a scrolling list for querying,viewing, entering and modifying inmate telephone numbers. The list willbe displayed in columns containing the information specified below. Eachof the columns will be available for entering queries against the inmatedatabase.

Telephone List-Telephone Number

The Telephone Numbers tab includes a column for entering and viewing thetelephone number requested by the inmate. Domestic telephone numbersinclude the area code, exchange, and the four digit number.International telephone numbers start will 011 and include the countrycode, city code and phone number.

Telephone List-Comment

The comment field is displayed when the button in the comment column onthe telephone number list is pressed. A text box up to 80 charactersallows users to enter comments relating to the telephone number. Thetext box will be minimized when the user presses the tab key or clicksthe mouse button on a new column.

Telephone List-Direct Dial/Collect/Both

The call type column on the telephone numbers list contains a drop-downlist box for selecting the call type(s) with which the inmate is allowedto call the number. The values listed are direct dial, collect, or both.The Profile tab on the National Information Maintenance window includesa field for specifying the global default for all inmates.

Telephone List-Do Not Record

The “do not record” column on the telephone numbers list contains acheck box for indicating that calls to that number are not to berecorded. When an inmate places a call to a number on his/her list thatis flagged as a “do not record” number, the FMU disables the voice pathfrom the inmate station to the BOP's recording equipment and to therecording and monitoring equipment on the FMU, preventing the call frombeing recorded. In its place, via the “attorney relay”, the FMU sends atone to the recorder to indicate that a call was placed but notrecorded.

By default, the “do not record” column will be set to off (record allcalls). In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels candisable the “do not record” feature can be disabled nationally or byfacility by removing the feature from the national or facility featuregroup on the National Information Maintenance and the FacilityInformation Maintenance windows.

Telephone List-Called Party Language Preference

The language preference column on the telephone numbers list indicatesthe language in which voices messages to the called party are played. Adrop down list box will allow the user to select English or Spanish. Thedefault setting for all telephone numbers will be English.

Telephone List-Allow Call

The allow/deny column on the telephone numbers list indicates if thenumber is an allowed number, denied number, or inactive number (removedfrom the allow list, but not explicitly denied). A drop-down list boxprovides the user with a choice between allow and deny. The default forall telephone numbers is allow. Telephone numbers that are set to “Deny”(Not Allow) or that have bee deactivated are not included in their countof allowed numbers and do not affect the amount of numbers on aninmate's approved list. Each inmate's ability to place calls isdetermined by the numbers on his/her list of allowed numbers and numbersthat are blocked for the entire correctional facility. A number that islisted as not allowed for one inmate does not affect another inmate'sability to place a call to that number. The setting of the allow/denycolumn affects the telephone number for the selected inmate (the inmatewhose register number appears in the window. Therefore, if a telephonenumber is denied for one inmate, it is not denied for other inmatesunless it appears on those inmates' individual telephone numbers listsas a deny number.

The column also includes numbers that are denied as the result of apermanent refusal from by the called party through a selection made atthe beginning of a phone call or by pressing GOTU™ during a call withthe inmate. For more information regarding these features, please referto the section entitled “Deny Future Calls”, above.

Telephone List-Date of Activation or Deactivation

The date of activation or deactivation column contains the date thetelephone number was allowed or the date the number was removed from theallow list. The ITS-II enters this date into the database when an allownumber is added or changed to inactive. It is displayed as read-only onthe list.

Telephone List-Alert

The alert column on the telephone numbers list is check box forindicating if the calls to that number by that inmate are to be alerted.When the alert box is selected, the alert indicator and the access levelof the user placing the alert are stored on the telephone numbersdatabase. The alert box can be expanded to display the user level.

If an inmate places a call to a telephone number that is alerted onhis/her list, an alert will be sounded to all users logged in with thesame access level as the user who placed the alert. In addition, thecall will be highlighted and flashed on the Calls in Progress displaywindow of those users. An alert indicator will also be stored in thecall record indicating the type of alert (inmate, telephone number, orboth). This information will be used for reporting alerts as specifiedby the Alert Notification Report described in section entitled “AlertNotification Report”, below.

Total Number of Call Minutes Remaining

The Class of Service tab on the National, Facility and InmateInformation Maintenance windows provides BOP staff with the ability toenter the total number of minutes an inmate may call in a user specifiedtime period. This time limit can also be specified to be unlimited,thereby automatically disabling the feature. The Class of Service tab isdescribed in greater detail in the section entitled “Class of Service”,below. The Inmate Profile window displays the total number of callminutes (collect and direct dial) remaining for the time periodspecified. The value displayed will be derived by adding the totalcollect minutes to the total direct dial minutes and subtracting the sumof collect minutes used in the current time period and the direct dialminutes used in the current time period.

“Minutes used” includes only the minutes for which calls were actuallyconnected (or answered calls for direct dial calls not requiring calledparty acceptance). At the beginning of the next time period, the FMUautomatically resets the total number of minutes remaining to the totalnumber of minutes allowed for the time period.

Collect Minutes Remaining

The Class of Service tab on the National, Facility and InmateInformation Maintenance windows provides BOP staff with the ability toenter the number of collect minutes an inmate may call in a userspecified time period. This time limit can also be specified to beunlimited, thereby automatically disabling the feature. The Class ofService tab is described in greater detail in the section entitled“Class of Service”, below. The Inmate Profile window will display thenumber of collect call minutes remaining for the time period specified.The value displayed will be derived by subtracting the sum of collectminutes used from the total collect minutes allowed for the time period.

“Minutes used” includes only the minutes for which collect calls wereactually connected (after called party acceptance). At the beginning ofthe next time period, the FMU automatically resets the collect number ofminutes remaining to the collect minutes allowed for the time period.

Direct Dial Minutes Remaining

The Class of Service tab on the National, Facility and InmateInformation Maintenance windows provides BOP staff with the ability toenter the number of direct dial minutes an inmate may call in a userspecified time period. This time limit can also be specified to beunlimited, thereby automatically disabling the feature. The Class ofService tab is described in greater detail in the section entitled“Class of Service”, below. The Inmate Profile window will display thenumber of direct dial call minutes remaining for the time periodspecified. The value displayed will be derived by subtracting the sum ofdirect dial minutes used from the total direct dial minutes allowed forthe time period.

“Minutes used” includes only the minutes for which direct dial callswere actually connected (after called party acceptance for direct dialcalls requiring acceptance). At the beginning of the next time period,the FMU automatically resets the direct dial number of minutes remainingto the collect minutes allowed for the time period.

Total Number of Calls Remaining

The Class of Service tab on the National, Facility and InmateInformation Maintenance windows provides BOP staff with the ability toenter the total number of Calls an inmate may place in a user specifiedtime period. The total number of calls an inmate can place can also bespecified as unlimited, thereby automatically disabling the feature. TheClass of Service tab is described in greater detail in the sectionentitled “Class of Service”, below. System, Site and Inmate InformationMaintenance windows provides BOP staff with the ability to enter thetotal number of calls an inmate may place in a user specified timeperiod. This window is described in greater detail in the sectionentitled “Class of Service”, below. The Inmate Profile window willdisplay the total number of calls (collect and direct dial) remainingfor the time period specified. The value displayed will be derived byadding the total collect calls allowed to the total direct dial callsallowed and subtracting the sum of collect calls placed for the timeperiod and the direct dial calls placed for the time period.

“Total calls” includes only direct dial and collect calls that wereactually connected (after called party acceptance for direct dial callsrequiring acceptance). At the beginning of the next time period, the FMUautomatically resets the total number of calls remaining to the totalnumber allowed for the time period.

Number of Collect Calls Remaining

The Class of Service tab on the National, Facility and InmateInformation Maintenance windows provides BOP staff with the ability toenter the number of collect calls an inmate may place in a userspecified time period. The number of collect calls an inmate can placecan also be specified as unlimited, thereby automatically disabling thefeature. The Class of Service tab is described in greater detail in thesection entitled “Class of Service”, below. The Inmate Profile windowwill display the number of collect calls remaining for the time periodspecified. The value displayed will be derived by subtracting the totalnumber of collect calls placed for the time period from the number ofcollect calls allowed for the time period.

“Total collect calls” includes only collect calls that were actuallyconnected. At the beginning of the next time period, the FMUautomatically resets the number of collect calls remaining to the numberof collect calls allowed for the time period.

Number of Direct Dial Calls Remaining

The Class of Service tab on the National, Facility and InmateInformation Maintenance windows provides BOP staff with the ability toenter the number of direct dial calls an inmate may place in a userspecified time period. The number of direct dial calls an inmate canplace can also be specified as unlimited, thereby automaticallydisabling the feature. The Class of Service tab is described in greaterdetail in the section entitled “Class of Service”, below. The InmateProfile window will display the number of direct dial calls remainingfor the time period specified. The value displayed will be derived bysubtracting the total number of direct dial calls placed for the timeperiod from the number of direct dial calls allowed for the time period.

“Total direct dial calls” includes only direct dial calls that wereactually connected (after called party acceptance for direct dial callsrequiring acceptance). At the beginning of the next time period, the FMUautomatically resets the number of direct dial calls remaining to thenumber of collect calls allowed for the time period.

Balance Transfers from FPPOS

The Class of Service tab will include a check box for enabling anddisabling the an inmate's ability to transfer funds from a Commissaryaccounts to their ITS-II. For more details on the Class of Service tab,please refer to the section entitled “Class of Service”, below. If the“balance transfer” feature is modified for a Class of Service, it willapply immediately to all inmates with that Class of Service. If thefeature is modified for an individual inmate, that setting overrides theinmate's original Class of Service.

Balance Inquiry Allowed

The Class of Service tab will include a check box for enabling anddisabling the an inmate's ability request and receive ITS-II andCommissary balance inquiries over the telephone. For more details on theClass of Service tab, please refer to the section entitled “Class ofService”, below. If the “balance transfer” feature is modified for aClass of Service, it will apply immediately to all inmates with thatClass of Service. If the feature is modified for an individual inmate'sClass of Service, that setting overrides the inmate's original Class ofService.

Number of Telephone Initiated Fund Transfers

The Class of Service tab includes a check box for setting the number oftimes inmates are allowed to transfer funds from their Commissaryaccounts to their ITS-II accounts per day or per week. The class ofservice capability provides a means of configuring features (such as thenumber of telephone initiated transfers per day or per week) forindividual inmates, groups of inmates, or entire correctionalfacilities. When the setting is modified for a Class of Service, it willapply immediately to all inmates assigned to that Class of Service. Whenthe feature is modified for an individual inmate, that setting overridesthe inmate's Class of Service. For more details on the Class of Servicetab, please refer to the section entitled “Class or Service”, below.

The Class of Service tab includes a Transfer Schedule window forscheduling the time of day and day of the week for allowing transfers,wherever the transfer schedule feature is included in the Class ofService's feature group (such as living unit or facility). For moredetails on the Class of Service tab, please refer to the sectionentitled “Class of Service”, below. The schedule appears as a scrollinglist, with a line for each day of the week. BOP staff with theappropriate access levels can enter time blocks during which transferswill be allowed. Multiple time blocks can be entered for each day of theweek. In addition, time blocks can be entered for specific dates.

Assign Inmate to Telephone

The Class of Service tab includes a multiple selection list box forassigning inmates to individual telephones or groups of telephones. Theclass of service capability provides a means of configuring features(such as the number of telephone initiated transfers per day or perweek) for individual inmates, groups of inmates, or entire correctionalfacilities. For more details on the Class of Service tab, please referto the section entitled “Class of Service”, below. When an inmate isassigned to telephones, that inmate will not be allowed to place callsfrom any other telephones. The telephones themselves, however, are notlimited to use by those inmates.

Personal Identifier

The ITS-II uses Phone Access Codes to provide inmates access totelephones. The ITS-II uses the inmate's PAC to identify the inmate'saccount for all inmate-initiated transactions, such as telephone callsand account transfers. Inmates will not be able to place direct dialcalls without entering a PAC after dialing a telephone number. Inmateswill not be able to place collect calls without entering a PAC afterdialing a telephone number unless the “PAC required for collect calls”feature has been disabled. When an inmate account is created, the ITS-IIautomatically generates a phone access code, or PAC, for the inmate.

Peronsal Identifier-Security of Phone Access Codes

Phone Access Codes are unique and secure across the entire ITS-II. TheOracle database provides a means for defining database fields as unique.Oracle controls the unique constraint by not permitting duplicate valuesfor fields defined with the unique constraint. In addition, the phoneaccess code is not printed on any reports other than the inmate dialinginstructions, which are printed on a carbon transfer envelope with onlythe inmate's register number appearing on the outside of the envelope.Only users with a BOP Central Office specified user access level canview phone access codes on the Inmate profile tab.

In addition to PAC access, the FMU uses speaker verification to furtheridentify the specific inmate accessing the ITS-II. After the PAC isentered the FMU plays a voice script which asks the inmate to repeat oneof 720 possible number patterns. The inmates spoken biometric voiceparameters are compared to the stored voice parameters for the PACnumber entered. Less than one second is needed for the FMU to checkmatching parameters, which is necessary for the inmate to access theITS-II.

The inmate voice parameters are captured on the first use of the ITS-II,when the FMU asks the inmate to repeat several number strings. Theseparameters are stored in the FMU and in the central database.

Personal Identifier-Function of Phone Access Codes

The Phone Access Code is the only means through which inmates can accesstheir ITS-II accounts. This requirement is enforced by the FMU's callprocessing software which controls all inmate telephone activity. Thecall processing software uses the PAC dialed by the inmate for lookingup an inmate's account information.

Personal Identifier-Transferability of Phone Access Codes

Because Phone Access Codes are unique in the central inmate database, aninmate's Phone Access Code can remain the same, regardless of transfersamong correctional facilities. When an inmate is transferred to adifferent correctional facility, the only account information that willchange is the facility code. Using the change PAC button on the InmateProfile tab, BOP staff with the appropriate user level can generate anew PAC for an inmate whose PAC was lost or stolen.

Personal Identifier-Simultaneous Phone Access Codes

The call processing software on the FMU will not allow a PAC to be usedto place simultaneous calls. If a simultaneous call is attempted, theFMU will play the appropriate error message and drop the inmate station.

Personal Identifier-Phone Access Code Format

The ITS-II will support Phone Access Codes between nine and twentydigits in length. The ITS-II assigns a unique PAC to an inmate uponcreation of the account. Phone Access Codes: are selected randomly froma pool of numbers. Once a code is assigned to an inmate, the ITS-IIflags it as used. A used PAC cannot be reused until it has been inactivefor at least one year.

When an ITS-II an inmate account is created and stored on the database,selected account information fields and the inmate's PAC are printed ona secure, carbon transfer multi-part envelope which shows only theinmate's name and register number on the outside. The remainder of theinformation, including the PAC, are sealed on the inside.

Phone Access Codes are displayed on the Inmate Profile tab only to thoseusers with the appropriate user access level.

Financial Transaction Information

The Transactions tab on the Inmate Information Maintenance window willinclude a scrolling list for viewing inmate financial transactionhistory, as well as for entering manual transactions for the selectedinmate account. Columns in the list include the data described insection entitled “Transaction Information”, below. Database queries canbe entered in one or a combination of the columns on the list. Thefacility code indicating the correctional facility from which thetransaction was entered is included for each transaction as well.Transaction entered at other facilities will not be accessible to BOPstaff at the current facility.

The FMU sets a call countdown timer for all approved calls. The timer isderived from the combination of calling features and inmate accountbalance that affect the duration of a call. The countdown timer isstarted as soon as the inmate and called party are connected. The FMUdebits the inmate's account at whole minute increments on the timer. Assoon as the timer reaches 0, the FMU disconnects the call and generatesa call record for the call. For more information regarding this process,please refer to the flowchart in FIGS. 6 through 17.

Financial Transaction Information-ITS-II Account Balance

The ITS-II maintains a separate and individual account balance for everyinmate account. The inventor has designed a fail-safe account balancingsystem, Multi-Independent Balance Computation System (MIBCS). Under theMIBCS, inmate account balances are maintained in two locations: on thedaily inmate balance table on the central inmate database and on theFMU. The daily inmate balance table includes the date, the inmatebalance carried over from the previous day, the sum of all financialtransactions made against each inmate account during the day and the sumof the cost of all telephone calls placed during the day. The inmatebalance is equal to the previous balance plus the sum of transactionsminus the sum of the telephone calls.

All inmate telephone calls, inmate-initiated financial transactions, andBOP staff-initiated financial transactions (regardless of theworkstation from which the transaction was entered) are processed by theFMU at the site. This ensures that the FMU has the most up-to-dateaccount balances for processing inmate calls and financial transactions.Immediately upon completion of a call or financial transaction, the FMUsends the call or transaction record to the database on the CentralOperations Facility server and verifies the new account balance on thedatabase with the account balance on the FMU. If the account balancedoes not match, an alert message is sent immediately to the technicalsupport center.

Financial Transaction Information-Viewing Availability

The ability to view individual account information by authorized BOPusers is available at all times and is not affected by any other ITS-IIactivity. This capability is ensured by a combination of the ITS-IIarchitecture and performance tuning of the Oracle database. In addition,the network management system is constantly monitoring network activity.Any detected degradation of network performance generates an alert tothe ITS-II maintenance support center to be remedied before it impactssystem access by BOP staff at the correctional facilities.

Financial Transaction Information-Immediate Update of FinancialInformation

All inmate telephone calls, inmate-initiated financial transactions, andBOP staff-initiated financial transactions (regardless of theworkstation from which the transaction was entered) are processed by theFMU at the site. This ensures that the FMU has the most up-to-dateaccount balances for processing inmate calls. Immediately uponcompletion of a call or financial transaction, the FMU sends the call ortransaction record to the databases on the Central OperationsFacilities' servers and verifies the new account balance (the previousday's balance plus the sum of all financial transactions for the dayminus the sum of all call charges for the day) on the database with theaccount balance on the FMU. If the account balance does not match, analert message is logged and transmitted to the technical support centersimultaneously.

Financial Transaction Information-Transaction Types

The Transactions tab on the ITS-II graphical user interface displays ascrolling list for viewing transaction details. BOP staff have access totransaction details for inmate transactions entered at facilities towhich they have been granted access. Transaction details are displayedin reverse chronological order, with the most recent transaction firstand the oldest transaction last. A list of radio buttons on the tabprovides a means for viewing all transactions or one transaction type ata time. The Transactions tab displays a scrolling list of all inmatetransactions, including: inmate initiated transfer of funds from theFPPOS to the ITS-II, Commissary-initiated electronic transfer of fundsfrom the FPPOS to the ITS-II, direct dial calls, manual financialtransactions on the ITS-II, transfer of funds from the ITS-II to theFPPOS, and refunds on the ITS-II. The Transaction tab on the InmateInformation window displays a scrolling list of transaction details forthe inmate selected. The Transactions tab on the Facility Informationwindow displays a scrolling list of transaction details (including theinmate register number) for all transactions entered from the facility.

The Report Generation button on the toolbar displays the ReportGeneration dialog box for the active tab, in this case, the Transactionstab. BOP staff can enter the report selection criteria and print ordisplay the resulting report.

Financial Transaction Information-Transaction Information

The transaction list box on the Transactions tab includes the followingcolumns of data: date of transaction, time of transaction, amount oftransaction, individual initiating the transaction, the correctionalfacility from which the transaction was entered, the type oftransaction, and a user specified reference number. The details for eachtransaction includes data in the columns relevant to the transactiontype.

The Transaction tab on the Inmate Information Maintenance windowdisplays transactions for the selected inmate. The Transaction Detailtab on the Facility Information Maintenance window displays transactionsfor all inmates at the correctional facility. The Transaction Detail tabon the System Information Maintenance window displays transactions forinmates nationwide.

All transaction lists include the ability to filter the data by enteringa query on any of the displayed columns.

Telephone Call Record Information-Call Record Availability

Inmate call records are accessible and available for reporting, analysisand viewing immediately upon termination of an inmate telephone call.All inmate telephone calls are controlled by the Facilities ManagementUnits at the correctional facilities. The FMU creates a call record onthe FMU at the beginning of every inmate telephone call. The informationin the call record is continuously updated during the call. Immediatelyupon termination of the call, the final call record is generated andsimultaneously stored locally on the FMU and on the call recordsdatabase on both the Central Operations Facility and the Backup CentralOperations Facility.

Telephone Call Record Information-Call Record Data Structure for DirectDial and Collect Calls

The data structure for direct dial and collect calls is identical. Acall type field indicates whether the call was direct dial or collect.Additional data fields required for recording fraud and LIDB informationfor collect calls are maintained, but unused, for direct dial calls.

The ITS-II graphical user interface provides three windows for viewingcall records. BOP staff have access to call records for calls placedfrom facilities to which they have been granted access. Call records aredisplayed in reverse chronological order (most recent call first, oldestcall last). The Call Records tab on the Inmate Information windowdisplays a scrolling list of call records for the inmate selected. TheCall Records tab on the Facility Information Maintenance window displaysa similar list for calls placed by all inmates at the correctionalfacility. The Call Records tab on the National Information Maintenancewindow displays a similar list for all call records placed by inmatesnationwide.

All call record lists will include the ability to filter the data byentering a query on a single column or a combination of the displayedcolumns.

Telephone Call Record Information-Call Record Storage

The ITS-II call record database on the servers at the Central OperationsFacility and the Backup Central Operations Facility has been sized tohold call records for all BOP correctional facilities, the BOP CentralOffice, and the MSTC for at least 12 months. Call records are notgenerated for balance request calls. Inmate initiated financialtransaction calls are stored as transactions on the database.

Telephone Call Record Information-Calls Not Completed

The list of inmate call records on the Call Records tab will includeEnglish constructs for indicating the status of a call, such as, “Callcompleted,” “Telephone number denied for inmate,” “Called party refusedcall.” All information regarding the call will be displayed on the callrecord list and will not require cross referencing data on otherwindows.

Telephone Call Record Information-Call Record Format

Call records are generated for all calls where a PAC is used.

If the PAC entered is not valid (i.e. the PAC is not assigned to aninmate on the database), the call record is stored in an accountdesignated for invalid PACs. Call records include the followinginformation: Inmate register number; Inmate name; Correctional facilityfrom which call was placed; Date; Time; Dialed digits (exactly as dialedby the inmate); Destination (city and state, or city and country forinternational calls); Reason for call not completed; Duration fromanswer or acceptance—stored in seconds; Trunk definition (FTS, local,international, etc.); Telephone location; Station set number; Charge forcall; Description assigned to telephone number called; Call type(InterLATA, IntraLATA, local, etc.); Alert (whether an alert was issuedfor that call); Type of Alert (account or telephone number); andRecorder channel number

In addition, call records will include: LIDB return code and Fraudreturn code.

C.2.2.2 Inmate Access to Telephones

The Calling Features tab on the National Information Maintenance windowprovides BOP staff with the appropriate user access level a list of allcall control features listed and the ability to create, modify anddelete feature groups from this list. Call control features aredisplayed by category. Users can select entire categories of features(such as inmate limits or fraud control) or individual features from acategory to be included in a feature group.

Of course, additional call control features can be added to the masterlist of features.

Inmate Access to Telephones-Feature Groups

The Calling Features tab on the System Information Maintenance windowprovides means for viewing and modifying the features included in thedefined feature groups. The tab also includes the ability to create newgroups and add features from the master list to the group.

The ITS-II does not limit the number of feature groups that can beconfigured. The default feature groups include: living unit full (withall features enables), living unit basic (with the basic features),telephone (with all features enabled), telephone number (with allfeatures enabled), facility basic, group of facilities, and national.The following table provides an example of feature groups and thefeatures included in each.

Features/Feature Groups Feature Group Enabled Applies To: Inmate FullAccount Transactions Selected inmates List required (D/C/B) Selectedinmates Schedule (D/C/B) Selected inmates Time Between Calls (D/C/B)Selected inmates Maximum Number of Calls Selected inmates (B/C/B) CallDuration (D/C/B) Selected inmates Prevent Extra Dialed Digits Selectedinmates Intermittent Message Selected inmates Brand Calls Selectedinmates Inmate Basic Account Transactions Selected inmates ScheduleSelected inmates Call Duration Selected inmates Telephones Full AccountTransactions Selected telephones List required (D/C/B) Selectedtelephones Time Between Calls (D/C/B) Selected telephones Schedule(D/C/B) Selected telephones Telephones Basic Account TransactionsSelected telephones List required (D/C/B) Selected telephones PACRequired for Collect Selected telephones Telephone Prevent Extra DialedDigits Telephone numbers Number Intermittent message Telephone numbersFacility Basic Transfer Schedule All inmates BOP Add-on rate for DirectDial All inmates Calls Facility Group Transfer Schedule All inmates FullBOP Add-on rate for Direct Dial All inmates Calls PAC Required forCollect All inmatesExample of Feature Groups

The Access Control tab on the National Information Maintenance windowincludes a multiple selection list box that allows the BOP CentralOffice staff to select the features that each user access level will beable to modify for individual inmates and/or telephone numbers.

Before the FMU allows a call to be processed, it validates allinformation regarding the call (the inmate, the telephone, the dialednumber, the living unit, the facility, the group of facilities, thesystem) against all feature settings that apply to that specific call.

The ITS-II graphical user interface provides BOP staff with theappropriate access levels with the ability to configure classes ofservice for each of the different feature groups. A class of service isthe combination of parameter settings associated with each of thefeatures in the associated feature group. The Class of Service tab onthe National Information Maintenance and Facility InformationMaintenance windows provides the ability to view or modify an existingclass of service or to create a new class of service. A field isincluded for displaying or entering the name of the class of service.Another field is provided for displaying or selecting the name of thefeature group to be included in the class of service. The featuresdisplayed on the Class of Service: tab will be only those included inthe feature group selected. If the user is viewing an existing class ofservice, the settings of the features are displayed. If the user iscreating a new class of service, the default settings are displayed.

The Class of Service tab on the Inmate Information Maintenance windowdisplays the class of service assigned to the selected inmate. If aclass of service has not been assigned to the inmate, the tab willdisplay the default class of service. BOP staff with the appropriateaccess levels can assign a different class of service to the selectedinmate. Users can modify only those features to which their user levelhas been granted access privileges. An example of this Class of Servicescreen is given in FIG. 4C.

The Class of Service tab on the National Information Maintenance windowprovides the BOP Central Office with the ability to create and modifyclasses of service for feature groups nationally, by groups offacilities, by individual facility, by living unit, or by individualinmates.

The Class of Service tab on the Facility Information Maintenance windowprovides correctional facility staff with the ability to assign a classof service to a facility and to view, create and modify classes ofservice for inmates at the correctional facility or by living unit.

The Class of Service tab on the Inmate Information Maintenance windowprovides correctional facility staff with the ability to assign a classof service to the selected inmates and to view and modify the class ofservice for the selected inmate. Changes to the class of servicesettings for an individual inmate override over all other settings.

When the inmate's class of service is modified for all inmates with thesame class of service, and the inmate's settings have been modified, theITS-II will display a dialog box informing the user that some inmateswith the class of service have individual settings and prompting theuser to select an action: maintain the individual overrides or resetthose inmates to the class of service settings.

In addition, the ITS-II has the ability to assign classes of service toinmate telephones or groups of telephones and to telephone numbers.

Level Default Class of Service Inmates living unit COS or Facility COS(if inmate is not assigned to a living unit) Living Units Facility COSCorrectional Group COS or National COS (if facility is not Facilityassigned to a group) Group of National COS FacilitiesFeature Descriptions

The Features Group tab on the System Information Maintenance windowlists all the features specified in the sections below. It also includesa list of all the features included in the selected features group. If afeature has not been included in a group or has been deleted from agroup, it will be treated as disabled and will not impact the processingof a call in any way.

Feature Descriptions-Inmate Access to Information

The Class of Service tab for the appropriate feature group will includethe “ITS balance request” and the “FPPOS balance request” feature checkboxes. The tab can be modified by BOP users with the appropriate accesslevel. When a box is checked, the feature will be enabled for allinmates assigned to the selected class of service.

When the “ITS balance request” is enabled, inmates with the selectedclass of service will be granted access to their ITS-II account balancesover the telephone. When the box is not checked, inmates will be deniedaccess to their ITS-II account balances over the telephone. When the“FPPOS balance request” is enabled, inmates with the selected class ofservice will be granted access to their FPPOS account balances over thetelephone. When the box is not checked, inmates will be denied access totheir FPPOS account balances over the telephone.

Feature Descriptions-Require or Not Require Approved Telephone NumberList

The Class of Service tab for the appropriate feature group includes the“allow list required” feature with radio buttons for selecting directdial, collect or both. The tab can be modified by BOP users with theappropriate access Level. When the Direct Dial radio button is pressed,the ITS-II requires allow lists for all direct dial calls placed byinmates with the selected class of service. However, the ITS-II allowsthose inmates to place collect calls without requiring allow lists. Whenthe Collect radio button is pressed, the ITS-II requires allow lists forall collect calls placed by inmates assigned to the class of serviceselected. However, the ITS-II allows those inmates to place direct dialcalls without requiring allow lists. When the Both radio button ispressed, the ITS-II requires allow lists for all calls placed by inmatesassigned to the class of service selected.

Feature Descriptions-Calling Schedules

When the “Calling Schedules” feature is included in a feature groupassigned to a class of service, calling schedules can be edited for allcalls, collect calls and direct dial calls on the Class of Service tab.

The Class of Service tab includes a window for entering callingschedules for individual inmates and for a whole correctional facility.Calling schedules can be entered for direct dial calls and/or collectcalls. Radio buttons allow the user to select direct dial, collect orboth. BOP staff with the appropriate access levels have the ability toenter time blocks during which inmates are allowed to place calls. Up to12 time blocks can be set for each day of the week, as well as forselected dates. Inmates will be allowed to place calls during the timeblocks entered for each day for their class of service or for the classof service assigned to the telephone from which they are calling. If aschedule is not entered for class of service or call type, the schedulefor the default class of service will apply.

Feature Descriptions-Time Between Completed Calls

When the “time between completed calls” feature is included in a featuregroup assigned to a class of service, the time between completed callsparameters can be edited for all calls, collect calls and direct dialcalls on the Class of Service tab.

The “time between calls” parameters include a check box and field forentering the number of minutes (from 0 to 9,999) an inmate must waitafter a call is terminated before being allowed to place another call.When the check box is selected, the minutes field must be entered, andthe setting will apply to all calls, direct dial and debit, placed byinmates with the selected class of service. When the minutes field isset to 0, the feature is disabled.

The “time between direct dial calls” parameters include a check box andfield for entering the number of minutes (from 0 to 9,999) an inmatemust wait after a direct dial call is terminated before being allowed toplace another direct dial call. If the “time between calls” check box isselected, the ITS-II graphical user interface will prevent the “timebetween direct dial calls” check box from being selected. When the checkbox is selected, the minutes field must be entered, and the setting willapply to all direct dial calls placed by inmates with the selected classof service. When the minutes field is set to 0, the feature is disabled.

The “time between collect calls” parameters include a check box andfield for entering the number of minutes (from 0 to 9,999) an inmatemust wait after a collect call is terminated before being allowed toplace another collect call. If the “time between calls” check box isselected, the ITS-II graphical user interface will prevent the “timebetween collect calls” check box from being selected. When the check boxis selected, the minutes field must be entered, and the setting willapply to all collect calls placed by inmates with the selected class ofservice. When the minutes field is set to 0, the feature is disabled.

In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels can disablethe time between calls features by removing them from the features grouplist on the Features Group tab. When the feature is enabled for afeature group, the settings in all of the classes of service for thatfeature group will apply. When the feature is disabled for a featuregroup, the settings in all of the classes of service for that featuregroup will be disabled, but not deleted. Disabled features will not bedisplayed on the Class of Service tab.

Feature Descriptions-Maximum Number of Calls

When the “maximum number of calls” feature is included in a featuregroup assigned to a class of service, the maximum number of callsparameters can be edited for all calls, collect calls and direct dialcalls on the Class of Service tab.

The “maximum number of calls” parameters include a check box, adrop-down list box listing time periods (day, week, month, etc.), and afield for entering the total number of calls (from 0 to 999) an inmatemay place in the time period selected. When the check box is selected,all fields must be entered, and the setting applies to all calls, directdial and collect, placed by inmates with the selected class of service.When the number of calls field is set to 0, the feature is disabled.

The “maximum number of direct dial calls” parameters include a checkbox, a drop-down list box listing time periods (day, week, month, etc.),and a field for entering the number of direct dial calls (from 0 to 999)an inmate may place in the time period selected. If the “maximum numberof calls” check box is selected, the ITS-II graphical user interfacewill prevent the “maximum number of direct dial calls” check box frombeing selected. When the check box is selected, all fields must beentered, and the setting will apply to all direct dial calls placed byinmates with the selected class of service. When the number of callsfield is set to 0, the feature is disabled.

The “maximum number of collect calls” parameters include a check box, adrop-down list box listing time periods (day, week, month, etc.), and afield for entering the number of collect calls (from 0 to 9,999) aninmate may place in the time period selected. If the “maximum number ofcalls” check box is selected, the ITS-II graphical user interface willprevent the “maximum number of collect calls” check box from beingselected. When the check box is selected, all fields must be entered,and the setting will apply to all collect calls placed by inmates withthe selected class of service. When the number of calls field is set to0, the feature is disabled.

In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels can disablethe maximum number of calls feature by removing them from the featuresgroup list on the Features Group tab. When the feature is enabled for afeature group, the settings in all of the classes of service for thatfeature group will apply. When the feature is disabled for a featuregroup, the settings in all of the classes of service for that featuregroup will be disabled, but not deleted. Disabled features will not bedisplayed on the Class of Service tab.

Feature Descriptions-Maximum Number of Minutes

When the “maximum number of minutes” feature is included in a featuregroup assigned to a class of service, the maximum number of minutesparameters can be edited for all calls, collect calls and direct dialcalls on the Class of Service tab.

The “maximum number of minutes” parameters include a check box, adrop-down list box listing time periods (day, week, month, etc.), and afield for entering the total number of billable minutes (from 0 to9,999) an inmate can call in the time period selected. When the checkbox is selected, all fields must be entered, and the setting will applyto all calls, direct dial and debit placed by inmates with the selectedclass of service. When the number of minutes field is set to 0, thefeature is disabled.

The “maximum number of direct dial minutes” parameters include a checkbox, a drop-down list box listing time periods (day, week, month, etc.),and a field for entering the number of billable direct dial calls (from0 to 9,999) an inmate can call in the time period selected. If the“maximum number of minutes” check box is selected, the ITS-II graphicaluser interface will prevent the “maximum number of direct dial minutes”check box from being selected. When the check box is selected, allfields must be entered, and the setting will apply to all direct dialcalls placed by inmates with the selected class of service. When thenumber of minutes field is set to 0, the feature is disabled.

The “maximum number of collect minutes” parameters include a check box,a drop-down list box listing time periods (day, week, month, etc.), anda field for entering the number of collect calls (from 0 to 9,999) aninmate can call in the time period selected. If the “maximum number ofcalls” check box is selected, the ITS-II graphical user interface willprevent the “maximum number of collect minutes” check box from beingselected. When the check box is selected, all fields must be entered,and the setting will apply to all collect calls placed by inmates withthe selected class of service. When the number of minutes field is setto 0, the feature is disabled.

In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels can disablethe maximum number of minutes features by removing them from thefeatures group list on the Features Group tab. When the feature isenabled for a feature group, the settings in all of the classes ofservice for that feature group will apply. When the feature is disabledfor a feature group, the settings in all of the classes of service forthat feature group will be disabled, but not deleted. Disabled featureswill not be displayed on the Class of Service tab.

Feature Descriptions-Call Duration

When the “call duration” feature is included in a feature group assignedto a class of service, the call duration parameters can be edited forall calls, collect calls and direct dial calls on the Class of Servicetab.

The “maximum call duration” parameters include a check box and a fieldfor entering the maximum duration of a completed call (from 0 to 99).When the check box is selected, the duration field must be entered, andthe setting will apply to all calls, collect and direct dial, placed byinmates with the selected class of service. When the duration field isset to 0, the feature is disabled.

The “maximum direct dial call duration” parameters include a check boxand a field for entering the maximum duration of a direct dial call(from 0 to 99). If the “maximum call duration” check box is selected,the ITS-II graphical user interface will prevent the “maximum directdial duration” check box from being selected. When the check box isselected, the duration field must be entered, and the setting will applyto all direct dial calls placed by inmates with the selected class ofservice. When the duration field is set to 0, the feature is disabled.

The “maximum collect call duration” parameters include a check box and afield for entering the maximum duration of a collect call (from 0 to99). If the “maximum call duration” check box is selected, the ITS-IIgraphical user interface will prevent the “maximum collect duration”check box from being selected. When the check box is selected, theduration field must be entered, and the setting will apply to allcollect calls placed by inmates with the selected class of service. Whenthe duration field is set to 0, the feature is disabled.

In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels can disablethe maximum call duration features by removing them from the featuresgroup list on the Features Group tab. When the feature is enabled for afeature group, the settings in all of the classes of service for thatfeature group will apply. When the feature is disabled for a featuregroup, the settings in all of the classes of service for that featuregroup will be disabled, but not deleted. Disabled features will not bedisplayed on the Class of Service tab.

Feature Descriptions-Extra Dialed Digits Prevention

When the “prevent extra dialed digit” feature is included in a featuregroup assigned to a class of service for individual inmates and forindividual telephone numbers, the prevent extra dialed digit parameterscan be edited on the Class of Service tab.

The “prevent extra dialed digits” parameters include fields for enteringthe number of extra digits that must be detected and the time intervalbetween the digits before the FMU cuts off a call. The number of digitsand interval fields must be entered. The settings apply to all callsplaced by inmates or telephone numbers with the selected class ofservice.

In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels can disablethe prevent extra dialed digits feature by removing it from the featuresgroup list on the Features Group tab. When the feature is enabled for afeature group, the settings in all of the classes of service for thatfeature group apply. When the feature is disabled for a feature group,the settings in all of the classes of service for that feature group aredisabled, but not deleted. Disabled features will not be displayed onthe Class of Service tab.

Feature Descriptions-Branding Calls with a BOP Message

When a call branding feature is enabled for a call, the ITS-II will playa BOP configured branding message at the beginning of the call. The callbranding message can be modified by the BOP. In addition, several callbranding messages can be set up and then selected to be played from alist.

When the “call branding” feature is included in a feature group assignedto a class of service for an individual inmate, groups of inmates, orall inmates, the call branding parameters can be edited for all calls,direct dial calls, and collect calls on the Class of Service tab. The“call branding” parameters include a check box for selecting the featureand a drop-down list box for selecting the branding message to beplayed, if the BOP requested more than one message. When the check boxis selected, the setting will apply to all calls placed by inmates withthe selected class of service.

When included in the associated feature group, the Class of Service tabincludes the “call branding direct dial” feature with a check box forselecting the feature and a drop-down list box for selecting thebranding message to be played, if the BOP requested more than onemessage. If the “call branding” check box is selected, the ITS-IIgraphical user interface prevents the “call branding direct dial” checkbox from being selected. When the check box is selected, the settingapplies to all direct dial calls placed by inmates with the selectedclass of service.

When included in the associated feature group, the Class of Service tabincludes the “call branding collect” feature with a check box forselecting the feature and a drop-down list box for selecting thebranding message to be played, if the BOP requested more than onemessage. If the “call branding” check box is selected, the ITS-IIgraphical user interface prevents the “call branding collect” check boxfrom being selected. When the check box is selected, the setting appliesto all collect calls placed by inmates with the selected class ofservice.

In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels can disablecall branding features by removing them from the features group list onthe Features Group tab. When the feature is enabled for a feature group,the settings in all of the classes of service for that feature groupwill apply. When the feature is disabled for a feature group, thesettings in all of the classes of service for that feature group will bedisabled, but not deleted. Disabled features will not be displayed onthe Class of Service tab.

Feature Descriptions-Intermittent BOP Message

When the “play intermittent message” feature is enabled for a call, theITS-II plays a BOP configured message at BOP specified intervals duringan inmate telephone call. The intermittent message can be modified bythe BOP. In addition, more than one intermittent message can be set up,and then the preferred message can be selected from a list of more thanone message.

When the “play intermittent message” feature is included in a featuregroup assigned to a class of service, the intermittent messageparameters can be edited for all calls, direct dial calls, and collectcalls on the Class of Service tab.

The “play intermittent message” parameters include a check box forselecting the feature, a drop-down list box for selecting the message tobe played if the BOP requested more than one message, and a field forentering the interval at which the message is to be played. When thecheck box is selected, the settings apply to all inmates and telephonenumbers with the selected class of service.

The “play intermittent message direct dial” parameters include a checkbox for selecting the feature, a drop-down list box for selecting themessage to be played if the BOP requested more than one message and afield for entering the interval at which the message is to be played. Ifthe “play intermittent message” check box is selected, the ITS-IIgraphical user interface prevents the “play intermittent message directdial” check box from being selected. When the check box is selected, thesettings apply to all direct dial calls for inmates and telephonenumbers with the selected class of service.

The “play intermittent message collect” parameters include a check boxfor selecting the feature, a drop-down list box for selecting themessage to be played if the BOP requested more than one message, and afield for entering the interval at which the message is to be played. Ifthe “play intermittent message” check box is selected, the ITS-IIgraphical user interface prevents the “play intermittent messagecollect” check box from being selected. When the check box is selected,the settings apply to all collect calls for inmates and telephonenumbers with the selected class of service.

In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels can disablethe play intermittent message feature by removing it from the featuresgroup list on the Features Group tab. When the feature is enabled for afeature group, the settings in all of the classes of service for thatfeature group will apply. When the feature is disabled for a featuregroup, the settings in all of the classes of service for that featuregroup will be disabled, but not deleted. Disabled features will not bedisplayed on the Class of Service tab.

Feature Descriptions-Called Party Blocking

When the “deny future calls” is enabled for a call type (collect, debitor both), the FMU will play an additional instruction providing thecalled party with the opportunity to deny all future calls of that calltype from the inmate placing the call. If the called party selects thisoption by dialing the designated digit, the call is denied and a calledparty deny flag is placed on the dialed number in the inmate's telephonenumber list for that call type. The flag prevents the number from beingre-activated for the inmate by users other than those with a BOPspecified access level. Calls blocked for an inmate account by thecalled party do not affect other inmates' ability to place calls to thesame number. In addition, ITS-II call blocking applies only to callsplaced from BOP correctional facilities with the ITS-II installed anddoes not alter or interfere with the ability of the called party toreceive other collect calls from non-BOP correctional facilities. If aninmate attempts to call the numbers again, the FMU plays the appropriatedeny message to the inmate.

When the “deny future calls” feature is included in a feature groupassigned to a class of service, the deny future calls parameters can beedited for all calls, direct dial calls, and collect calls on the Classof Service tab.

The “deny future calls” parameter includes a check box for selecting thefeature. When the check box is selected, the settings will apply to theselected class of service.

The “deny future calls direct dial” parameter includes a check box forselecting the feature. If the “deny future calls” check box is selected,the ITS-II graphical user interface prevents “deny future calls directdial” check box from being selected. When the check box is selected, thesetting applies to the selected class of service for all direct dialcalls.

The “deny future calls collect” feature with a check box for selectingthe feature. If the “deny future calls” check box is selected, theITS-II graphical user interface prevents the “deny future calls collect”check box from being selected. When the check box is selected, thesetting applies to the selected class of service for all collect calls.

In addition, BOP staff with the appropriate access levels can disabledeny future calls feature by removing it from the features group list onthe Features Group tab. When the feature is enabled for a feature group,the settings in all of the classes of service for that feature groupwill apply. When the feature is disabled for a feature group, thesettings in all of the classes of service for that feature group will bedisabled, but not deleted. Disabled features will not be displayed onthe Class of Service tab.

Inmate Use of the Telephone

The ITS-II will provide inmates with a dialing sequence for accessingtheir ITS-II and Commissary accounts over the telephone. The dialingsequence will consist of a multi-digit transaction code followed by theinmate's PAC. Upon receipt of the account transaction digits and PAC,the FMU will play a menu of available transactions to the inmate, basedon the inmate's class of service. Inmates can bypass the voice menu andvoice prompts by pressing the appropriate digits without waiting for themessages to complete. The menu will include an option for obtainingITS-II account balances, Commissary account balances, direct dialminutes remaining for the period, the number of direct dials callsremaining for the period, collect minutes remaining for the period, thenumber of collect calls remaining for the period, as well as fortransferring funds between accounts.

Inmate Use of the Telephone-ITS-II Account Balance

When an inmate selects the ITS-II account balance information option,and the ITS-II account balance feature is enabled for the inmate, theFMU provides the inmate's current ITS-II balance, the cost of theinmate's last direct dial call in dollars and cents, the direct dialminutes remaining and the reference period, the number of direct dialcalls remaining and the reference period, the collect minutes remainingand the reference period, and the number of collect calls remaining andthe reference period. For example, “Your ITS-II account balance is 23dollars and 15 cents. The cost of your last call was 2 dollars and 25cents. You have 55 direct dial minutes remaining for September. You have12 direct dial calls remaining for September. You have 23 collect callminutes remaining for September. You have 8 collect calls remaining forSeptember.”

The messages provided will depend on the feature settings in theinmate's class of service. If any of the minutes per period or calls perperiod features are disabled, those messages will not be played. Inother words, the inmate will receive only the relevant messages.

Inmate Use of the Telephone-Commissary Account Balance

When an inmate selects the ITS-II account balance information option,and the Commissary account balance feature is enabled for the inmate,the FMU accesses the FPPOS system and provides the inmate's currentCommissary account balance. If the Commissary system is not available orthe time is outside of the schedule for accessing FPPOS accounts, theFMU will play the appropriate error message to the inmate.

Inmate Use of the Telephone-Funds Transfer to ITS-II Account

When an inmate selects the ITS-II funds transfer option from thetransaction menu, the FMU verifies that the transfer transaction can beentered at the time. Validation checks include: Is the inmate authorizedto transfer funds? Has the inmate reached the maximum number of timesper day or week for transferring funds? Is the current day and timewithin the schedule for transferring funds? Does the inmate have fundsavailable for transfer? Is the ITS-II account active (i.e. the inmate'sstatus code is not =‘Z’)?

If the validation fails, the FMU plays the appropriate error message tothe inmate and disconnects the inmate telephone. If the FMU approves therequest, it then provides the inmate with his/her ITS-II and Commissaryaccount balances and prompts the inmate for the amount to betransferred. The inmate then enters via the telephone keypad the amountto be transferred in whole dollar amounts. After verifying that theamount entered does not exceed the inmate's Commissary account balance,the FMU repeats the amount entered by the inmate and prompts the inmateto confirm the transfer. If the amount exceeds the inmate's Commissarybalance, the system aborts the transaction, plays the appropriate denyreason to the inmate and disconnects the inmate station. Once the amountis verified, the FMU deducts it from the inmate's Commissary account andadds it to the inmate's ITS-II account. Immediately, upon completion ofthe transaction, the FMU stores a transaction detail record on theinmate database on the Central Operations Facilities' servers andappends a record to the FPPOS file on the Commissary system. It alsoplays a message to the inmate confirming the transaction and providingthe new ITS-II and Commissary account balances. For more informationregarding the network interface between the ITS-II and the FPPOS, pleaserefer to the section entitled “Federal Prison Point of Sale (FPPOS)System”, below:

Inmate Use of the Telephone-Placing Calls

ITS-II inmate dialing patterns take into consideration two factorsgoverning the inmate's ability to place telephone calls: the frequencyof inmate transfers and future NANP changes. Therefore, the ITS-II willenforce a consistent inmate dialing pattern that is unlikely to bechanged in the foreseeable future. Inmates at every site correctionalfacility will place calls following the same rules, as defined in thetable below:

Call Type Inmate Dials FMU dials Call is routed Direct dial local1+NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC local dialing rules local Direct dial IntraLATA toll1+NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC IntraLATA dialing rules FTS-2000 Direct dialInterLATA 1+NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC 1+NPA-NXX-XXXX FTS-2000 Direct dial USCaribbean 1+NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC 1+NPA-NXX-XXXX FTS-2000 Direct dialinternational Caribbean 1-NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC 1-NPA-NXX-XXXX internationalcarrier Direct Dial Canada 1+NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC 1+NPA-NXX-XXXXinternational carrier Direct Dial overseas (011) 011+CC-XXXXX . . . #PAC011+CC-XXXXX . . . international carrier Collect local 0+NPA-NXX-XXXXPAC local dialing rules local collect Collect IntraLATA 0+NPA-NXX-XXXXPAC IntraLATA dialing rules carrier Collect InterLATA 0+NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC1+NPA-NXX-XXXX carrier Collect US Caribbean 0+NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC1+NPA-NXX-XXXX carrier Collect Canada 0+NPA-NXX-XXXX PAC 1+NPA-NXX-XXXXinternational carrier Collect Overseas 01+CC-XXXXX . . . #PAC01+CC-XXXXX . . . international carrier

Dialing instructions will be included on the carbon transfer PACenvelope printed for each inmate upon account creation, as well as uponrequest. Inmate dialing instructions will also be affixed to everyinmate station set.

As soon as the inmate dials the first digit of a telephone call, the FMUcuts off dial tone to the inmate station. The inmate telephone must goon-hook again before dial tone will be restored. The FMU provides voiceprompts to the inmate to assist with the dialing sequence. Inmates canelect to listen to the prompts or dial through them. When the inmateenters the last digit of his/her PAC, the FMU validates the call againstthe inmate account and performs the checks required for processing thecall. If the call fails any of the validation checks, the FMU plays theappropriate voice message to the inmate, generates a call record, anddisconnects the inmate station.

If the call is approved, the FMU completes the out dialing of the digitsto the appropriate network trunk. If the call is a direct dial call andacceptance from the called party is not required, the FMU connects theinmate station to the network trunk, allowing the inmate to hear theprogress of the call. If special information tones are detected, the FMUwill take the action specified by the “SIT action” feature describedabove in the section entitled “General Direct Dial ServiceRequirements”.

If the call is a collect call or a direct dial call that requiresacceptance by the called party, the FMU listens for the call progresstones from the dialed number. If the FMU detects busy, it plays arecorded busy signal to the inmate station. If it detects ringing, itplays an informational message to the inmate station. Otherwise, itplays the appropriate error message to the called party, disconnects thenetwork trunk and drops the inmate station.

When a call is within 60 seconds of termination due to time limits orthe exhaustion of funds, the FMU will send a warning tone to the inmatestation. The warning tone will be repeated when there are 30 secondsremaining before termination. A warning tone was selected over a voicemessage because tones can be audible to the inmate without interferingwith the inmate's conversation.

FIGS. 6 through 17 contain flowcharts detailing call processing by theITS-II from call initiation to call termination.

Voice Response and Message Capability

The FMU is configured with independent voice channels capable of playingpre-recorded voice messages to 48 trunks simultaneously. Based upon theBOP's voice messaging requirements, a ratio two inmate stations to onevoice channel provides more than sufficient resources for playing voicemessages. In most cases, the ratio will actually be one-to-one. The FMUis designed to provide sufficient storage and access capacity to supportrequirements for the processing of all calling services and accountmanagement functions to preclude any delays to inmates in placing callsor accessing accounts.

Voice Response and Message Capability—Capability to Change Messages

The exact wording of all voice messages can be determined by the BOP.The voice messages will then be recorded professionally and installed onthe ITS-II. Changes to voice messages will be handled in a similarmanner. Any time the BOP desires a change to a voice message, aprofessional recording of the message can be made and installed on theITS-II. Alternatively, the BOP may provide its own voice messagerecording. In this alternative, a means for installing pre-recordedvoice messages on the ITS-II may be included in the ITS-II.

In addition, the ITS-II graphical user interface includes the capabilityof listening to all voice messages on the ITS-II. The System Messagestab on the System Utilities window provides a scrolling list of allvoice messages with the option of selecting a message to be played atthe workstation.

Voice Response and Message Capability-Responding to Voice Prompts

The ITS-II includes the capability of accepting DTMF and rotary inputfrom the called party, for the purpose of answering FMU-providedquestions and prompts. All calls requiring called party acceptance canbe accepted by dialing either a DTMF or rotary digit. The rateinformation option can be selected by dialing a sequence of DTMF digitsor remaining on the line. Alternatively, called parties have the optionof accepting call by saying the word “yes”.

In addition to responding to the prompt to enter a telephone number andPAC, the ITS-II also includes the capability of accepting DTMF inputfrom inmate stations for responding to the account transaction menu.

In addition to PAC access, the FMU uses speaker verification to furtheridentify the specific inmate accessing the ITS-II. After the PAC isentered the FMU plays a voice script which asks the inmate to repeat oneof 720 possible number patterns. The inmates spoken biometric voiceparameters are compared to the stored voice parameters for the PACnumber entered. Less than one second is needed for the FMU to checkmatching parameters, which is necessary for the inmate to access theITS-II.

The inmate voice parameters are captured on the first use of the ITS-II,when the FMU asks the inmate to repeat several number strings. Theseparameters are stored in the FMU and in the central database.

Voice Response and Message Capability-Use of Voice Messaging

The ITS-II includes call setup voice messages for the inmate. The FMUprompts the inmate to enter a telephone number, to enter a PAC, to makea menu selection for account transactions, and to record his/her voiceto be played to the called party.

The FMU provides the called party with: carrier branding, call branding,and call type announcement messages; the inmate's recorded name;instructions for accepting a call, refusing a call, permanently refusinga call, and receiving collect call rates over the telephone; and collectcall rating information. The ITS-II also provides intermittent messagesto the called party and/or inmate during calls as determined by the BOP.

The FMU provides appropriate messages to the inmate any time a call isdenied as the result of the validation checks or called party refusal,or a call cannot be completed.

Voice messages are played to the inmate throughout the accounttransaction process to provide a menu of transactions available, confirmtransactions, and play error messages.

FIGS. 6 through 17 and FIGS. 18 through 25 provide flowcharts of theITS-II call and account transaction processing. The flowcharts includethe decision branches identifying where voice messages are played.

Voice Response and Message Capability-Keypad Input

Inmates will use the ITS-II keypad for obtaining account balances,placing telephone calls, and performing ITS-II and Commissary accounttransactions.

In addition to PAC access, the FMU uses speaker verification to furtheridentify the specific inmate accessing the ITS-II. After the PAC isentered the FMU plays a voice script which asks the inmate to repeat oneof 720 possible number patterns. The inmates spoken biometric voiceparameters are compared to the stored voice parameters for the PACnumber entered. Less than one second is needed for the FMU to checkmatching parameters, which is necessary for the inmate to access theITS-II.

The inmate voice parameters are captured on the first use of the ITS-II,when the FMU asks the inmate to repeat several number strings. Theseparameters are stored in the FMU and in the central database.

Inmate Telephone Account Financial Transactions-System Interfaces

The ITS-II LAN has been designed to be compatible with the NovellVersion 3.2 network software. Connectivity between the FPPOS LAN and theITS-II LAN will be achieved through the intelligent hub. The ITS-II willbe able to open, close, read, and edit files on the Commissary system,as well as add records to and delete records from those files in orderto complete each transaction, maintain an accurate account of eachtransaction and ensure the accountability of funds on both the ITS-IIand the FPPOS system. If at any time there is a problem with theFPPOS-ITS-II interface at a correctional facility, an alert message willbe displayed on the designated workstation and sent to the technicalsupport center at the Central Operations Facility.

Inmate Telephone Account Financial Transactions-Accountability ofTransactions

All ITS-II financial transactions are processed by the FMU. Immediatelyupon completion of each transaction, the FMU generates a transactionrecord and simultaneously stores it on the inmate databases at theCentral Operations Facilities. Each transaction is stored by date, time,and inmate number. The information stored for each financial transactionis described in the section entitled “Transaction Information”, above.The information stored for each call record is described in the sectionentitled “Call Record Format”, above. At the same time the transactionand calls records are stored on the databases, the ITS-II updates theinmate's daily account balance summary record and verifies the newbalance on the database with the balance on the FMU. A discrepancybetween the two results in an immediate alert to the technical supportcenter, and the inmate is denied further transactions or calls until thediscrepancy is resolved. For a complete description of this dual balancecheck procedure, please refer to the MIBCS description in the MUMSdescription in the section entitled “Miscellaneous Features”, below. Aspart of the daily account reconciliation process, the system maintains adaily account balance summary record for each active inmate. The dailyaccount balance summary records contains the date, the facility code ofthe correctional facility to which the inmate is assigned, the inmate'sregister number, the previous day's balance, the net sum of alltransactions for the day, and the sum of charges for all direct dialcalls for the day.

Summary reporting of all transactions is reportable to the BOP CentralOffice for the account reconciliation process as described in thesection entitled “BOP Central Office Reconciliation”, below.

Inmate Telephone Account Financial Transactions-Negative Balances

At no time will the ITS-II allow an inmate's account balance to gonegative. Before the ITS-II will process a financial transaction enteredfor an inmate's account, it verifies that the account is not being usedby any other financial process (such as transactions and telephonecalls) and then calculates the inmate's current balance from the dailyaccount balance summary record (account balance equals the previousday's balance plus the net sum of the day's transactions minus the sumof direct dial call charges). If the account is not in use, the ITS-IIplaces a lock on the account to prevent another process from attemptingfinancial updates to the same account. If the transaction entered wouldresult in a negative balance for the inmate, it is not processed, andthe ITS-II plays the appropriate message to the inmate or displays theappropriate message to the user entering the transaction. If there isnot sufficient funds for the inmate to complete a two minute direct dialcall, the call is denied and the FMU plays the appropriate deny reasonto the inmate. In addition, the FMU uses the inmate's balance todetermine how much time the inmate can talk before running out of funds.If the inmate is still on the phone with one minute's worth of fundsavailable, the FMU issues a warning tone to the inmate. The warning isrepeated 30 seconds later. As soon as the inmate's balance reaches 0,the FMU disconnects the call and sets the call end type on the callrecord to reflect the exhaustion of funds.

Inmate Telephone Account Financial Transactions-Financial Flowcharts

Detailed flowcharts of all inmate account financial transactions areincluded in FIGS. 18 through 25.

Inmate Telephone Account Financial Transactions-Site Specific Codes

The three character facility code from which a transaction or callrecord was initiated is stored with each financial transaction and witheach call record on the inmate database. All transactions and callrecords are traceable to the correctional facility through the facilitycode. When an inmate is transferred to a new facility, the inmate'stransactions and call records remain assigned at the originatingfacility. In other words, the facility code is not changed on thetransactions or call records.

Inmate-Initiated Transfer of Funds From the Commissary Account to theITS-II Account

An inmate will be able to transfer funds between his/her Commissaryaccount and ITS-II account through the ITS-II telephone set only if thebalance transfer feature on the inmate's class of service is turned onand the inmate's account is active (the inmate's status code is not‘Z’.) Inmate dialing instructions include the dialing sequence fortransferring funds from the Commissary system to the ITS-II. The ITS-IIprovides voice instructions to inmates during the transfer process.Inmates have the option of listening to the instructions beforeproceeding through each step of the transfer or of dialing through thevoice prompts.

When an inmate dials the prescribed account transaction code followed byhis/her PAC, the ITS-II validates the inmate's account against theinmate database (validation checks include: did the inmate enter a validPAC? Is the account active? Is the inmate authorized to call from thatstation? Is the station authorized for account transactions?). If any ofthe account validation checks fail, the FMU plays the appropriate denymessage to the inmate and disconnects the inmate station.

The FMU next prompts the inmate to enter the transaction code (ITS-IIaccount balance, Commissary account balance, funds transfer). The inmateselects funds transfer. The FMU then verifies that the Commissary systemis available and that transfers are allowed at the time (both thetransfer schedule and transfer frequency are checked). If verificationchecks fail, the FMU plays the appropriate deny message to the inmateand disconnects the inmate station. If the transaction is allowed, theFMU connects to the Commissary system and verifies that the inmate'sCommissary account is not in use. If the account is in use, the FMUplays the appropriate deny message to the inmate and disconnects theinmate station.

The FMU prompts the inmate to enter, in a whole dollar amount, theamount to be transferred and then verifies that the amount entered isnot greater than the inmate's Commissary account balance. If the amountis greater than the Commissary account balance, the FMU plays theappropriate deny message to the inmate, aborts the transaction anddisconnects the inmate station. If the amount entered is less than orequal to the Commissary account balance, the FMU deducts the funds fromthe Commissary account and updates the Commissary account balance, andverifies the new Commissary balance. If the transaction did not gothrough properly, the FMU creates an error record on the Commissarysystem and aborts the transaction. If the transaction was successful,the FMU appends a record to the temporary file on the Commissary systemand adds the transaction amount to the inmate's account balance summaryrecord and stores a transaction record on the FMU and on the inmatedatabases on the Central Operations Facilities' servers.

The Transactions tab on the Facility Information Maintenance and theInmate Information Maintenance windows on the ITS-II graphical userinterface provides a complete listing of all transactions originating atthe selected correctional facility, including inmate-initiatedelectronic transfers. By selecting the query button from the toolbar andentering the transaction type in the transaction type column, BOP staffwith the appropriate user access level can view only inmate-initiatedfunds transfers. For more details on the Transactions tab and viewinginmate transactions, please refer to the section entitled “FinancialTransaction Information”, above.

When the Transactions tab is active, the Report Generation button on thetoolbar brings up the report generation dialog box for transactionsreport. By entering the relevant report parameters BOP staff cangenerate the Electronic Transfer Report at the correctional facility fora user-specified date range. The Electronic Transfer Report includes thefollowing information: (1) Inmate Register Number; (2) Inmate Name; (3)Date of Transaction; (4) Time of Transaction; (5) Amount of Transaction;(6) Telephone initiating transfer; (7) Correctional facility code.

The Calling Features tab on the Facility Information Maintenance windowprovides a window for entering and modifying a daily transfer schedulefor all inmates at the facility. Multiple schedules can be entered foreach day of the week, as well as for selected dates. The tab alsoincludes a check box for manually disabling and enabling funds transferson an as needed basis for the entire correctional facility.

BOP Initiated Electronic Transfer of Funds From the Commissary Accountto ITS-II Account

The ITS-II is capable of receiving the end of day ASCII file from theFPPOS system at each correctional facility. When the BOP initiates thetransfer from the FPPOS system, the FMU receives the file and processeseach record in the batch file as is processes all inmate transactions.Each transaction is validated against the inmate database and foravailability (validation checks include: Is the inmate assigned to thecorrectional facility? Is the inmate's account active? Is the inmate onthe telephone? Are there any other transaction locks on the account). Ifthe account is invalid or unavailable, it will be recorded as anexception to be reported on the Commissary Electronic Funds TransferException report (CEFTE). The CEFTE report includes the inmate's name(if the register number exists on the database), the inmate registernumber, the amount of the transaction, and the reason for the rejection(such as inmate on the phone, inmate assigned to a different facility).All exceptions can be entered manually on the Transactions tab on theFacility Information Maintenance or Inmate Information Maintenancewindow on the ITS-II graphical user interface, when the account becomesavailable.

When a transfer transaction is approved, the FMU simultaneously storesthe transaction record locally and on the databases on the CentralOperations Facilities servers and updates the net transaction amount forthe day on the inmate's daily account balance summary record.

Upon completion of the FPPOS file processing, the ITS-II automaticallygenerates and prints the CEFTE report and the Commissary ElectronicFunds Transfer (CEFT) report. The CEFT report includes the inmates name,the inmate's register number, the transaction date, and the amount ofthe transaction. A summary report listing the number of transactions andthe total amount of funds transferred is printed at the end of theindividual transactions listing. This report can be reprinted from theReport Generation button on the toolbar on the ITS-II graphical userinterface when the Transactions tab is active.

Debiting ITS-II Accounts for Telephone Charges

When an inmate initiates a direct dial call through the ITS-II telephoneset, the FMU uses the Phone Access Code dialed by the inmate todetermine whether the PAC is valid, the inmate's ITS-II account isactive (the status code is not ‘Z’) and to verify that the inmate hassufficient funds to complete a two minute call. The inmate's accountbalance is derived from the inmate's daily account balance summaryrecord by adding the previous day's balance to the net transactionamount for the day and subtracting the total direct dial call chargesfor the day. If the call is not valid or the inmate does not havesufficient funds to complete a two minute call, the call is denied andthe FMU plays the appropriate deny reason to the inmate, disconnects theinmate station, and generates a call record reflecting the reason thecall was denied.

The FMU next validates the call against the inmate's administrativeaccount information. If any of the validation checks fail, the FMU playsthe appropriate deny message to the inmate, disconnects the inmatestation, and generates a call record reflecting the reason the call wasdenied.

In addition, the FMU uses the inmate's balance and other administrativerestrictions (such as allowed numbers list, call duration, maximumnumber of direct dial minutes, calling schedule) to determine how longthe inmate can talk. Based on that information, the FMU sets a callcountdown counter for each call. When the inmate telephone and calledparty are connected, the FMU starts the countdown timer and debits theaccount for the cost of a one minute call. As each minute on the timerelapses, the FMU continues to debit the account. If the inmate is stillon the phone with one minute's worth of funds available, the FMU issuesa warning tone to the inmate. The warning is repeated 30 seconds later.As soon as the inmate's does not have enough funds for an additionalminute, the FMU disconnects the call and sets the call end type on thecall record to reflect the exhaustion of funds.

Immediately upon completion of the call, the FMU stores the call recordon FMU and the databases on the Central Operations Facilities' serversin real time. The call record is available for viewing immediately afterthe call is completed. At the same time, the call charges are added tothe total call charges on the inmate's daily account balance summaryrecord.

If the inmate hangs up or otherwise terminates call setup prior to beingconnected to the called party, the account will not be debited, and thedeny reason on the resulting call record will indicate an incompletedirect dial call. The BOP may elect not to store call records forincomplete calls. The Calling Features tab on the National InformationMaintenance window provides a means for enabling and disabling the“store incomplete call” feature.

BOP Initiated Manual Transactions Made Directly to the ITS-II Accounts(Deposits, Withdrawals and Exceptions)

The Transactions tab on the Facility Information Maintenance window andthe Inmate Information Maintenance window on the ITS-II graphical userinterface provides BOP staff with the appropriate user access level witha means for entering transactions manually in the event the ITS-II andthe Commissary system cannot communicate or the need arises for someother reason. BOP staff with the appropriate user access level can pressthe “Enter Transaction” button and then select the Manual, Release orRefund transaction entry radio button.

Transactions cannot be entered for inmates who are on the telephone orwhose accounts have been locked by another transaction process. Whenthat happens, the appropriate error message is displayed on theworkstation.

The manual transaction entry line on the Facility InformationMaintenance window includes columns for entering the inmate's registernumber, a drop-down list box for selecting the transaction type, anumeric field for entering the amount of the transaction (withdrawaltransactions are indicated with a minus sign), and a comments field. Thetransaction type defaults to the transaction type selected for theprevious transaction. The ITS-II automatically generates the inmate'sname and date columns.

The manual transaction entry line on the Inmate Information Maintenancefor the selected inmate includes a drop-down list box for selecting thetransaction type, a numeric field for entering the amount of thetransaction, and a comments field. The transaction type defaults to thetransaction type selected for the previous transaction. The inmate nameand register number appear on the header portion of the InmateInformation window.

When the user presses the enter key on the last column of a transactionline, the ITS-II processes the transaction, generates a transactionrecord, simultaneously updates the inmate's account balance on the FMUand on the databases on the Central Operations Facilities' servers, andgenerates a line for the Manual Transaction report. A new transaction isnow available for input. When all transactions have been entered, theITS-II automatically completes the Manual Transaction report. The reportconsists of a line item for each transaction entered including: theinmate's register number. The inmate's name, the date of thetransaction, the transaction type, and the amount of the transaction.After printing the last transaction line, the ITS-II prints a summary ofall transactions, including the net transaction amount and the totalnumber of transactions.

BOP Initiated Transfer of ITS-II Account Funds to the CommissaryAccounts for Inmate Releases

Inmate release transactions are entered from the Transactions tab on theFacility Information Maintenance window (for releasing one or moreinmates) and the Inmate Information Maintenance window (for releasing anindividual inmate). BOP staff with the appropriate user access level canpress the “Enter Transaction” button and then select the Manual, Releaseor Refund transaction entry radio button.

From the Transactions tab on the Facility Information Maintenancewindow, the release transaction entry box includes a column for enteringthe inmate's register number. If the inmate is not currently on thetelephone and there are no other transaction locks on the account, theITS-II puts a lock on the account (preventing the inmate from placingtelephone calls) and fills in the inmate's name, the release transactiontype, the amount of funds to be released (calculated from the inmate'sdaily account balance summary record as the previous day's balance plusthe net sum of all transactions for the day minus the sum of direct dialcall charges for the day.) The cursor then flashes on the commentscolumn, allowing the user to enter comments on the release.

From the Transactions tab on the Inmate Information Maintenance window,the user selects the “Release” button. If the inmate is not currently onthe telephone and there are no other transaction locks on the account,the ITS-II puts a lock on the account (preventing the inmate fromplacing telephone calls) and fills in the release transaction type, theamount of funds to be released (calculated from the inmate's dailyaccount balance summary record as the previous day's balance plus thenet sum of all transactions for the day minus the sum of direct dialcall charges for the day.) The cursor then flashes on the commentscolumn, allowing the user to enter comments on the release.

If the inmate is on the telephone when a release transaction isattempted, or another process has a transaction lock on the account, therelease transaction will not be processed, and the ITS-II will displaythe appropriate error message on the workstation. At the option of theBOP, the release process can be configured to hold release transactionsin queue when the account is in use. A message will be displayed on theworkstation indicating that the account is in use and that thetransaction will be processed as soon as the account becomes available.When the lock on the account is dropped, the transaction willautomatically be processed using the latest account balance information,and the Release Transaction Report will be generated automatically.

When the release transaction is processed, the FMU generates atransaction record, subtracts the release amount from the net sum oftransactions for the day on the inmate's daily account balance summaryrecord, and sets the inmate's status to ‘Z’. At the same time, the FMUaccesses the Commissary, generates a transaction record and appends aline item to the transaction report print file. Finally, the FMUgenerates a Release Transaction Report for all successful releases. Thereport output includes: the inmate's register number, the inmate's name,the transaction date, the release transaction type, the amount thetransaction, and the comments entered by the user.

In addition, the ITS-II allows an alternate method for releasinginmates. Inmate release transactions entered by BOP staff on theCommissary system and transmitted to the ITS-II in real time to generatethe release transaction on the ITS-II. The ITS-II would then process therelease transaction as described above. BOP personnel can make thenecessary modifications to the FPPOS system to enable Commissary releasetransactions to be processed on the ITS-II.

BOP Initiated Call Charge Refunds Made Directly to ITS-II Accounts

Inmate refund transactions are entered from the Transactions tab on theFacility Information Maintenance window (for refunding one or moreinmate accounts) and the Inmate Information Maintenance window (forrefunding an individual inmate account). An example of this screen isshown in FIG. 4B. BOP staff with the appropriate user access level canpress the “Enter Transaction” button and then select the Manual, Releaseor Refund transaction entry radio button.

From the Transactions tab on the Facility Information Maintenancewindow, the refund transaction entry line includes a column for enteringthe inmate's register number, the phone number for which the refund isbeing given, and the number of minutes to be refunded. The ITS-IIautomatically enters the inmate's name column and the puts the currentdate in the date of call column. The ITS-II calculates and displays theamount of the refund. If the user has entered an earlier date in thedate of call column, the ITS-II will use the direct dial rates that werein effect on the date entered to calculate the amount of the refund. Thecursor then flashes on the reason column, allowing the user to enter thereason for the refund.

The process is similar from the Transactions tab on the InmateInformation Maintenance window for entering refunds for an individualinmate.

The ITS-II will not process refunds for inmates whose accounts have beenreleased (status code=“Z”.)

When the refund transaction is processed, the FMU generates atransaction record and simultaneously stores it on the databases on theCentral Operations Facilities' servers and updates the inmate's dailyaccount balance summary record. The ITS-II then generates a summarytransaction report on the correctional facilities printer. The refundreport generates a line item for each refund transaction entered,including: the inmate's register number, the inmate's name, the date andtime of the transaction, the date of the call, the type of thetransaction, the amount of the refund, comments (the reason for therefund), telephone number called, and name of the user who entered thetransaction (automatically generated from the log-in and stored with thetransaction record.)

BOP Central Office Account Reconciliation

The ITS-II provides a two-phased daily account balance and activitysummary reporting process for each correctional facility. The firstphase closes inmate accounts for the previous day and records the totalinmate balance per correctional facility. The first phase also opensactive inmate accounts for the current day. The second phase of thedaily account balance and activity summary reporting process is thetally of all transaction amounts and call charges by type. Neither phaseof the reconciliation process requires the ITS-II process to shut downat any time. The only way the ITS-II will be affected is that any callsconnected before midnight and still in progress at the time the nightlyprocesses begin may be subject to being cutoff (with the appropriatewarnings). Daily reports are available to the BOP Central Office bycorrectional facility as the processes are completed for each facility.Because of the different time zones in which the facilities are located,from Puerto to Hawaii, reporting for all facilities will not beavailable for at least seven hours.

A daily inmate account summary record is maintained on the centraldatabase for all active inmate accounts (all inmate whose account statuscode is not set to ‘Z’). The daily account summary record includes theinmate's register number, the correctional facility, the date, theinmate's account balance from the previous day, the sum of all financialtransactions for the inmate for the day, and the sum of all call chargesfor the inmate for the day.

The daily reconciliation processes for a correctional facility can beginany time after 00:15:00 (facility local time). By default, the accountreconciliation will begin at 00:15:00 (facility local time) for eachcorrectional facility. The BOP Central Office has the ability to set theschedule for each facility. All inmate accounts will be closed as of23:59:59 (facility local time) each day. To maintain date consistencywith carrier (including FTS-2000) call records, calls and financialtransactions will be included in the daily account reconciliation forthe day on which they were originated. Therefore, accounts cannot beclosed until all calls and financial transactions originating before00:00:00 have ended. In order to provide timely daily accountreconciliation, The inventor recommends allowing calls in progressbefore midnight to continue until 00:14:59, at which time they will beterminated. All calls and transactions started after 00:00:00 areallowed to continue normally and will be included in the next day'sbalancing.

At 00:13:59, the daily process verifies that there are no calls inprogress that originated before midnight. If there are calls inprogress, the FMU issues a warning tone to the inmate station(s)indicating to the inmate that there is one minute left on the call.Thirty seconds later, the FMU issues a second warning to the inmate andcuts off the call thirty seconds after that. The call end type on thecall record will indicate daily account closing as the reason the callwas cutoff. As soon as the call is cutoff and the call record stored onthe central database, the account is closed for the previous day. TheFMU opens daily account records for all inmates accounts withtransaction or direct dial call activity after 00:00:00 and before thenightly balance process completes.

Next, the reconciliation process creates a summary account record forthe facility. The summary record includes: Facility code, Reconciliationdate, Sum of the previous day's account balances, Sum of inmatetransaction amounts for the reconciliation date, and Sum of inmate callcharges for the reconciliation date.

Finally, the first phase of the daily account balance and activitysummary reporting process “opens” a new daily account summary record foreach active inmate account effective at 00:00:00 each day (facilitylocal time) whose daily account record has not already been opened bythe FMU. When an inmate account is opened, a new summary record iscreated for the current date and facility with the inmate's balancecarried over from the previous day. The sum of financial transactionsand the sum of call charges are initialized to 0. As financialtransactions are entered against the account and calls records storedfor the account during the day, the account record is updated to includethe transaction amounts and the call charges.

The second phase of the daily account balance and activity summaryreporting process tallies the sums of transactions at each facility bytransaction type into a transaction and call records summary record forthe day's activities. The process reads each inmate financialtransaction entered on the reconciliation date and adds the transactionamount to the summary field for the corresponding transaction type inthe transaction summary record. Transaction amounts are stored as signednumeric fields (withdrawals are negative numbers, deposits are positivenumbers.) It then processes call records in a similar manner, adding thecharges for each direct dial call to the summary field for thecorresponding call type in the call summary record. Call charges arestored as positive numbers. All transaction processing calculationstreat call charges as negative. A description of the summary recordsmaintained follows.

The daily transaction summary record includes: Facility code,Reconciliation date, Sum of inmate electronic transfers for thereconciliation date (+), Sum of Commissary electronic transfers for thereconciliation date (+), Sum of releases by electronic transfers for thereconciliation date (−), Sum of local call refunds for thereconciliation date (+), Sum of long distance call refunds for thereconciliation date (+), Sum of international call (excluding Canada andMexico) refunds for the reconciliation date (+) Sum of Canada refundsfor the reconciliation date (+), Sum of Mexico refunds for thereconciliation date (+), Sum of manual deposit transactions for thereconciliation date (+), Sum of manual withdrawal transactions for thereconciliation date (−), and Sum of manual exception transactions forthe reconciliation date (+/−)

The daily call summary record includes: Facility code, Reconciliationdate, Sum of local direct dial calls for the reconciliation date (−),Sum of long distance calls for the reconciliation date (−), Sum ofinternational calls (excluding Canada and Mexico) for the reconciliationdate (−), Sum of Canada calls for the reconciliation date (−), and Sumof Mexico calls for the reconciliation date (−).

Inmate daily account summary records and daily transaction and callrecords summary records are maintained on the active database for atleast one year and will be available for viewing and reporting by dateand by individual correctional facilities or for all facilities.

In order to provide the same level of accounting for account balances,transaction amounts and call charges nationally as is maintained foreach correctional facility, the daily processes generate daily nationalsummary records. Daily national balances and activity summary processingbegins as soon as the daily processing for all correctional facilitiesis completed (at approximately 06:30 EST each day

The daily national transaction summary record, includes: Reconciliationdate, Sum of inmate electronic transfers for the reconciliation date(+), Sum of Commissary electronic transfers for the reconciliation date(+), Sum of releases by electronic transfers for the reconciliation date(−), Sum of local call refunds for the reconciliation date (+), Sum oflong distance call refunds for the reconciliation date (+), Sum ofinternational call (excluding Canada and Mexico) refunds for thereconciliation date (+), Sum of Canada refunds for the reconciliationdate (+), Sum of Mexico refunds for the reconciliation date (+), Sum ofmanual deposit transactions: for the reconciliation date (+), Sum ofmanual withdrawal transactions for the reconciliation date (−), and Sumof manual exception transactions for the reconciliation date (+/−).

The daily national call summary record includes: Reconciliation date,Sum of local direct dial calls for the reconciliation date (−), Sum oflong distance calls for the reconciliation date (−), Sum ofinternational calls (excluding Canada and Mexico) for the reconciliationdate (−), Sum of call to Canada for the reconciliation date (−), and Sumof calls to Mexico for the reconciliation date (−).

The daily national account balance summary record includes:Reconciliation date, Sum of the previous day's account balances, Sum ofinmate transaction amounts for the reconciliation date, and Sum ofinmate call charges for the reconciliation date.

Once the national summary records for a reconciliation date have beengenerated, the data will be available for viewing and inclusion in theBOP Central Office reconciliation report. The National Balances tabNational Information Maintenance window displays a list of summaryrecords for a selected date and selected facility or nationwide. Thedisplay includes the previous day's balance, subtotals by transactiontype, a grand total of all transactions, and the sum of all accountbalances nationally or for the selected facility for the selected date.The sum of all account balances is calculated as the sum of the previousday's account balances plus the sum of inmate transaction amounts forthe selected date minus the sum of inmate call charges for the selecteddate.

The Report Generation button on the toolbar displays the ReportGeneration window for the Account Reconciliation Report when theNational Balances tab is active. The BOP Central Office can specify thedate range for the periodic report. The data for each date specifiedincludes account balance and transaction and call summary data from00:00:00 to 23:59:59 for all facilities, based on facility local time.The report summarizes the data for all days included in the specifieddate range as follows:

Previous balance (from previous report)

Electronic transfers

Inmate

Commissary

Releases

Subtotal of electronic transfers.

Refunds

Local.

Long distance.

International (excluding Canada and Mexico)

Canada

Mexico

Subtotal of refunds.

Manual transactions

Deposits

Withdrawals

Exceptions

Subtotal of manual transactions

Direct dial calls

Local.

Long distance.

International (excluding Canada and Mexico)

Canada

Mexico

Subtotal of direct dial calls

Net sum of transactions (*)

ITS-II account balances (**)

* The sum of the transaction subtotals minus the subtotal of direct dialcalls

** The balance from the previous report plus the sum of all transactionsfrom the daily national account balance summary record for each date ofthe report period minus the sum of all call charges from daily nationalaccount balance summary record.

Each time an Account Reconciliation Report is run, the output of thereport is stored on the database by report sequence number. Reports canbe regenerated by selecting the report sequence number from a list ofpreviously run Account Reconciliation reports. Reports are listed bysequence number and date range.

Management of Inmate Transfers Between Correctional Facilities

Inmate PAC's are assigned and maintained on the central inmate database.When a transferred inmate arrives at a new correctional facility beforea transfer transaction has been entered for the inmate's account, he/shehas collect calling privileges only. In other words, when the FMU looksup a PAC for an inmate and determines that the inmate is not assigned tothat facility, it allows the inmate to place collect calls only. Allcalling restrictions other than the inmate stations to which the inmateis assigned will apply to collect calls. If an inmate attempts to placea direct dial call, the FMU will inform the inmate that only collectcalls can be placed at the time.

All calls and call attempts will be alerted to BOP administrative staffat the facility, and the resulting call record will include the alerttype as “new facility”. BOP staff will then be informed of the need tocreate a transfer transaction for the inmate or that an inmate isattempting to commit fraud.

An inmate's account belongs to the facility to which the inmate has beenassigned. The facility code is carried throughout the database for allinmate account information and activity. A single transaction entry isrequired to successfully transfer an inmate's account information fromone facility to another. The transfer transaction must be entered by BOPstaff at the receiving facility. When the transfer transaction isentered, two transaction records are created. The first transactionrecord is a “transfer out” transaction, similar to a releasetransaction. The transfer out transaction contains the inmate's originalfacility code. It closes an inmate's account at the original facility bycreating a withdrawal transaction equal to the inmate's current balance.The inmate's daily account balance record is updated to reflect thetransfer transaction.

The “transfer in” transaction transfers the inmate account informationto the new facility and opens a new daily account balance record for theinmate with the date of the transfer, the new facility code and thetransfer amount (as a deposit). The information transferred includes allinmate profile information and the inmate's telephone number lists. Theinmate is assigned the default class of service for the transfer tofacility. Inmate transaction records, call records and daily accountbalance records will always belong to the original facility. BOP staffat the transfer to facility will not have access to that information.

If an inmate attempts to enter a Commissary transaction from an inmatestation at a correctional facility other than the facility to which theinmate has been assigned, the FMU will deny the transaction and play theappropriate error message to the inmate. The FMU will generate atransaction record indicating the attempt. The transaction amount willbe $0.00. At the same time, the FMU will issue a warning to thedesignated user level that an inmate not assigned to the facility hasattempted a transaction at the facility. BOP staff will then be alertedto the need to create a transfer transaction for the inmate or that aninmate is attempting to commit fraud.

Similarly, if a staff member attempts to enter a transaction for aninmate whose account is assigned to another facility, the ITS-II sends amessage to the workstation that the inmate is assigned to a differentfacility and the name of the facility to which the inmate is assigned.The staff member will then have the option of entering a transfertransaction for the inmate as described above.

The ITS-II Accounts Transferred and Received report available throughthe Report Generation window on the ITS-II graphical user interface willquery the transaction records for the selected date range andfacilities, and will select all “transfer out” and “transfer in”transactions for reporting. The report will be sorted by correctionalfacility and include “transfer out” and “transfer in” transactions bydate for each date in the date range selected. In addition, an automaticnightly process will be run for each facility reporting on the day'stransfer out and transfer in transactions for that facility. The reportwill print on a pre-designated printer at each facility for whichtransfer transactions were entered. The report includes the followingdata: inmate name, inmate register number, transaction type (transfer inor transfer out), receiving or originating facility, ITS-II accountbalance (from the daily account balance record), Count of transfer outtransactions, Sum of transfer out amounts, Count of transfer intransactions, and Sum of transfer in amounts.

The ITS-II also provides a report available through the ReportGeneration window listing all valid PACs used at correctional facilitiesother that those to which they were assigned. This information will beextracted from transaction records with the “transaction attempted fromnew facility” transaction type and call records with the appropriatealert type (call attempted from new facility).

Queries and Reports

In addition to the query and reporting capabilities built into theITS-II graphical user interface windows, the ITS-II includescommercially available query and report applications software. Thesetools have been developed specifically to provide an end-user friendlymeans of accessing complex data structures and will be integrated intothe ITS-II graphical user interface and will not require BOP staff torun any additional software applications.

The ITS-II architecture has been designed with consideration to the needfor flexible and rapid data storage and retrieval. The entire ITS-IIinmate database resides on an Oracle RDBMS on the Central OperationsFacility server, with a fully replicated copy on the server housed atthe Backup Central Operations facility. Oracle's database replicationsoftware keeps the two databases synchronized and available for runningqueries and reports.

Queries and Reports-Queries

In addition to the ability to enter queries on each window on the ITS-IIgraphical user interface that displays data from the ITS-II database,the ITS-II includes a query facility specifically designed to provideBOP users with quick retrieval of selected data through the ITS-IIgraphical user interface, in formats that make it easy to analyze andreport. There are simple-to-use retrieval, analysis, and reporting toolsto aid the BOP user. Query and report wizards, similar to those found inMicrosoft applications, will help guide BOP staff through the process ofstructuring queries and reports.

The ITS-II graphical user interface provides the required capabilitythrough two query methods. The first query method allows BOP staff withthe appropriate user access level to enter queries on all data fieldsdisplayed on the ITS-II windows, including, but not limited to, ITS-IItelephones, inmate call records, call types, and calling restrictions.

The second query method provided with the ITS-II is a query toolexecuted from the Utilities menu on the ITS-II graphical user interface.This tool allows users to generate queries from data fields from anend-user view of the database, or meta database, to be displayed in auser-defined format. This view of the database was designed to provideend users with access to the database from a business, rather thandatabase, point of view. A query “wizard” walks first time users throughthe process of writing a query. Query results can also be printed andsaved in a variety of file formats.

The levels to which queries can be ordered are limited only by thenumber of data columns selected to be retrieved by the query.

ITS-II query results are displayed on the window from which they weregenerated. The print screen and report generation buttons on the toolbarprovide a means for printing the results of a query, either in a reportformat or print screen format.

The query tool provided in the Utilities menu of the ITS-II graphicaluser interface allows end users to save queries locally to theirworkstation's disk drive, as well as on the databases on the CentralOperations Facilities' servers. When a query is saved, the user levelthat created the query and the facility where it was created are alsosaved. When a user selects the query tool from the Utilities menu, adialog box provides the option of opening a query saved on theworkstation or one saved on the central database. If the user selects alocally saved query, a list of query files on the workstation's harddrive is displayed. If the user chooses to open a query saved on thecentral database, a pick list of queries available to the user's accesslevel is displayed.

When a query is saved on the central database, the user can grant a useraccess level access to the query. The query will then appear in thedrop-down pick list of queries for all users with that access level.

When the query tool is invoked from the Utilities menu on the ITS-IIgraphical user interface, a dialog box provides the BOP staff with theoption of selecting and executing a query from a list of queries storedon the workstation's hard drive, selecting and executing a query from alist of queries stored for the local correctional facility on thecentral database, selecting and executing a query from a central list onthe central database, or creating and saving a new query. The level ofaccess to stored queries is determined by a user's assigned accesslevel. Once a query has been selected, a pick list or generated fromscratch, users with the appropriate access level can either modify thequery and save it under a different name either locally or centrally forlocal facility use or for all facilities to use.

ITS-II users with sufficient knowledge of the ITS-II database tables canexecute Oracle's SQL*Plus (a trademark of Oracle) from the Utilitiesmenu. SQL*Plus is a utility that provides a means of querying thedatabase with structured query language statements. The ITS-II querytool includes a meta database, which can be custom-designed. Thisdatabase will “sit” on top of the ITS-II database and provide the BOPwith an English language, business view of inmate and call records data.The query tool provides pick lists from the end-user view of thedatabase for selecting data as well as logical operators andrelationships among the data fields. A “wizard” is also provided toassist user when putting queries together.

In addition, the ITS-II graphical user interface provides a querycapability on the data fields displayed in its windows. To enter a queryfrom a user interface window, the user selects the query button on thetoolbar, enters the desired query criteria on the data field(s) andpresses the execute query button. All records on the database that meetthe query criteria are returned by the query and displayed on thewindow. The scroll bar to the right of each applicable window can beused to scroll through the records.

The integrated query tool that can be invoked from the Utilities menu onthe ITS-II graphical user interface, provides drill-down querycapability. By selecting the drill-down function, the user creates aquery and then uses the result to formulate a second query involving thesame or different database tables. The number of levels of drill-down islimited only by the depth of the data being queried.

In addition to the query capability on the user interface windows theITS-II provides the two query methods under the Utilities menu describedin this section: the end-user query tool and Oracle SQL*Plus queries. Increating user access levels (see description of Access Control, below)the BOP can grant the different query capabilities to different accesslevels.

Regardless of the query method used, the user's menu, database andcorrectional facility access level apply at all times. Users arerestricted to querying and viewing the data to which they have beengranted access.

Regardless of the query method used, the user's menu, database andcorrectional facility access level apply at all times. BOP CentralOffice personnel are assigned the highest access level to all of thedata for all correctional facilities. Therefore, BOP Central Officeusers have access to all ITS-II data nationwide.

The query software for the ITS-II is capable of retrieving anddisplaying any individual inmate account on the Inmate AccountInformation Maintenance window in less than 10 seconds or any individualinmate call record(s) on the Call Records tab from the fully loadedcentral database in less than 10 seconds. This capability is possiblethrough the WAN capacity for data transmission, the high speed I/O ofthe disk drives and the optimization of the Oracle database.

C.2.2.7.2 General Report Capabilities

The ITS-II database server utilizes specially enhanced hardware, CPU andI/O capabilities. The database must be optimized by ITS-II maintenancepersonnel, in order to improve the speed and ease with which standardreports are generated. In addition, an integrated third party reportwriting tool provides the BOP with a means for generating and savingcustomized reports. The report software of the ITS-II utilizes a folderorientation to provide easy access to objects, including calculatedobjects, formatting attributes and functions. Templates containingformatting, logic and calculations make it easy for users to quicklygenerate reports.

Users who have been granted access to more than one facility have theability to run reports by the facilities to which they have access,depending on their menu and database access level. Reports can begenerated for data from one or more facilities or all facilities. BOPCentral Office users with access to all facilities have the ability togenerate ITS-II-wide reports. When a user with access to data from morethan one correctional facility selects a report from the ReportGeneration window in the ITS-II graphical user interface, the ITS-IIprompts the user to enter the facility or facilities for which thereport is to be run. Access to data from any facilities than those towhom the user has been granted access is denied.

When BOP Central Office staff create or modify user access levels on theAccess Control tab on the National Information Maintenance window, amultiple selection list box is provided for granting access toindividual reports and/or entire report groups user level. The UserAdministration tab includes a multiple selection list box for assigningspecific users access to a correctional facility or facilities and/orfacility groups.

Whether generating standard reports or customized reports, the user'smenu, database and correctional facility access privileges will beenforced at all times.

The integrated third party report tool allows BOP users to create uniquereports with special information, sorted in a specific sequence andpresented in a format of their choosing. The custom report generationtool offers a report writing wizard to guide users through the reportwriting, process, from selecting the data to be included in the reportto formatting the report output. Users can also create, save and reusereport format templates. The data selected using the report tool isselected from the end-user meta database. The meta database presents theinmate financial and administrative data and call record data from thebusiness application point of view. Meaningful English names are usedfor the tables and data fields in the tables.

The Report Generation window includes a Report Group tab for groupingreports under BOP defined categories. The tab includes a field forentering a group name to create, view or modify and the list of reportsin the group. When a user enters the name of a new report group, theITS-II displays a multiple selection list box for selecting the reportsto include in the group. Each report group will then appear as a singlemenu item under the reports menu. The Access Control tab on the Nationaland Facility Information Maintenance windows provides a means forassigning individual reports or report groups to user access levels.

The ITS-II allows the BOP to program reports to be generatedautomatically. These reports are printed, as determined by BOPpersonnel, when a certain call is made, when a certain transaction withthe Commissary system and/or the AIMS is made, or at a certain time ofday. This capability is intended to act as a notification to BOP staffwhen targeted circumstances occur.

The Calling Features tab on the National and Facility InformationMaintenance windows on the graphical user interface includes parametersettings for specific features to enable and disable the automaticprinting of reports when alert conditions specified by the BOP occur.

The Calling Features tab on the Facility Information Maintenance windowprovides the ability to configure the automatic report generationparameters for specific features at each correctional facility. TheCalling Features tab on the National Information Maintenance windowprovides the ability to configure the automatic report generationparameters for specific features at all correctional facilities.

All ITS-II printed reports will include the required information andreport data. There will be no blank pages inserted into reports.

The design of the database, as well as the disk I/O configuration forthe ITS-II server has been optimized for the rapid generation andprinting of the required standard reports. Oracle provides severalmethods for optimizing queries and reports, such as transferring theselected data to be processed on the client, or processing the data onthe server and then transferring the results to the client. Thesedecisions will be fully automated for the standard reports and as muchas possible for the customized reports. Computer systems maintenancepersonnel will need to work with the BOP staff on an on-going basis, inorder to improve the performance of customized report generation.

The Report Generation menu provides a window for exporting the resultsof a report to an ASCII file format on any electronic storage medium.Additional export file formats include Microsoft Excel (a trademark ofMicrosoft Corp.) and HTML.

The output of all reports saved on the central database can be viewedon-line at workstations by BOP staff Users with the proper access leveland shall be able to be printed, when desired by BOP staff. The ReportGeneration window on the ITS-II graphical user interface provides adrop-down list box for selecting a previously generated report forviewing.

Reports can be regenerated from the original data as long as the dataused in the original report is not dated before the earliest data storedon the database. Standard reports can be regenerated by entering thesame report generation parameters on the report generation dialog boxfor the report. Custom reports can be regenerated by selecting andexecuting the custom report from the pick list of custom reports.

FIG. 5 provides a sample of the standard report output of the ITS-II.The standard report template includes the following information: timethe report was generated, the terminal or workstation from which thereport was generated, the report parameters entered on the reportgeneration dialog box for the report, the page number and total numberof pages, the report heading of the report selected, the end of reportfooter, the report heading on each page, and the report title on eachpage.

All reports generated from the Report Generation window on the ITS-IIgraphical user interface are displayed on the screen or printed usingthis template. In addition, custom report templates can be created,saved and recalled using the ITS-II custom report generation tool.

The header of each report contains the following information: thecorrectional facility name for which the report was generated, the nameof the report, the date and time of the report, the page number, and theheadings of the report columns.

The footer at the end of each report includes the following information:a sum of all columns containing dollar values; the total count ofinmates included in the report, where appropriate; the total callduration; and/or counts of calls, where appropriate.

The Report Generation window on the ITS-II graphical user interfaceincludes the ability to create groups of related information, includingtelephone numbers, inmate register numbers, correctional facilities, andliving units. When a group is created, the user has the choice of savingthe group configuration locally on the workstation's hard disk or on thecentral database to be used by other users. The groups can then be usedas selection criteria for reports whose parameters include the type ofdata contained in a group.

Specific Reports

Each of the standard reports listed below is included in the pick listof reports on the Report Generation window. These reports can beselected to be included in a report group. The Access Control tab on theNational Information Maintenance window provides a means for assigningreports to specific user access levels. When a user selects the ReportGeneration menu, the window displays only those reports and reportgroups that have been assigned to the user's access level.

Specific Reports-Chronological List of Calls Report

The Chronological List of Calls Report is included in the list ofstandard reports provided with the ITS-II. When the report is selectedfrom the Report Generation window on the ITS-II graphical userinterface, the report generation dialog box prompts the user to enterthe date range of calls to be included in the report by start date andtime and end date and time.

The output of the report includes the following call record data forcalls within the date range selected for the correctional facility forwhich the report was generated: Inmate register number; Date of call;Time call started; Duration of call; Dialed number; Call type (local,long distance, international, or free); Trunk; Station set number; Costof call; and Recorder channel number.

The totals printed on the report footer include: number of calls, callduration, and cost.

Specific Reports-Daily Call Volume and Charge Report

The Daily Call Volume and Charge Report is included in the list ofstandard reports provided with the ITS-II. When the report is selectedfrom the Report Generation window on the ITS-II graphical userinterface, the report generation dialog box prompts the user to enterthe correctional facility or facilities to be included in the report andthe date range of calls to be included in the report by start date(starting at 0:00:00) and end date (ending at 23:59:59). The output ofthe report includes data from the daily direct dial and collect callsummary records for each date of the date range selected and eachcorrectional facility selected. The daily direct dial and collect callsummary records include the total call charges and the count of callsand the total call duration for each call type.

Daily Call Volume and Charge Report totals will be printed for each dayfor each facility and for all facilities. Grand totals for the reportwill be printed for each facility and for all facilities. The totalsinclude the total direct dial call charges, the total count of directdial calls, the total direct dial call duration, the total collect callcharges to called parties, the total count of collect calls, and thetotal collect call duration.

The totals include the total direct dial call charges, the total collectcall charges to called parties, the total count of direct dial calls,and the total count of collect calls.

Specific Reports-Telephone Account Statement

The Telephone Account Statement is included in the list of standardreports provided with the ITS-II. When the report is selected from theReport Generation window on the ITS-II graphical user interface, thereport generation dialog box prompts the user to enter the inmateregister number, group of inmate register numbers or all registernumbers at the facility, the start date of the statement, and the enddate of the statement. A check box is included for selecting the“include zero dollar transactions” option in the report.

For each inmate account selected, the report lists the beginning balanceon the start date specified. The balance is taken from the inmate'sdaily account balance summary record. It then lists the followinginformation for each transaction in chronological order: Date oftransaction, Time of transaction, Transaction type (call, deposit,transfer), Correctional facility site code (where transaction occurred),Call duration (if applicable), Dialed number (if applicable), Amount,and Inmate balance after transaction.

After the last transaction is printed, the report provides a summary ofall transaction amounts by transaction type, of all call charges by calltype, and the count of all calls and transactions.

If the statement is longer than one page, the inmate's register number,the date range included in the statement, and the page number areprinted at the top of the page.

Specific Reports-ITS-II Accounts Transferred and Received

The ITS-II Accounts Transferred and Received Report is included in thelist of standard reports provided with the ITS-II. When the report isselected from the Report Generation window on the ITS-II graphical userinterface, the report generation dialog box prompts the user to enterthe date range (start date and end date) of inmate transfers nationwideto be included in the report. The Transferred and Received reportqueries the transaction records for the selected date range andfacilities, and selects all “transfer out” and “transfer in”transactions for reporting. The report is sorted by correctionalfacility and date and includes “transfer out” and “transfer in”transactions by date for each date in the date range selected. Thereport includes the following information: Inmate register number,Inmate name, Transferred from correctional facility code, Transferred tocorrectional facility code, Date of transfer, ITS-II account balance atthe time of transfer, Total amount of transferred account balances,Total amount of received account balances, and Net amount.

Specific Reports-Frequently Dialed Numbers Report

The Frequently Dialed Numbers Report is included in the list of standardreports provided with the ITS-II. When the report is selected from theReport Generation window on the ITS-II graphical user interface, thereport generation dialog box prompts the user to enter the date range(start date and end date) of calls to be included in the report, and theminimum number of times a telephone number must have been called to beincluded in the report. The report detail includes the followinginformation regarding each call listed in the report: the inmate name,the inmate's register number, the date, the start time of the call, therecorder channel number, and the facility code from which the call wasplaced. The information will be sorted by telephone number and startdate and time in chronological order.

In addition, the Frequently Dialed Number Summary Report is alsoprovided. The summary report includes the dialed numbers and the numberof times each number was called. The summary report is sorted by thenumber of times a telephone number was called, with the most frequentlydialed number first.

An example of the Frequently Dialed Number Summary Report is provided inFIG. 5.

Specific Reports-Telephone Number Usage Report

The Telephone Numbers Usage Report is included in the list of standardreports provided with the ITS-II. The Telephone Numbers Usage Reportprovides call record information for calls to the telephone number(s)specified on the report generation dialog box. When the report isselected from the Report Generation window on the ITS-II graphical userinterface, the report generation dialog box prompts the user to enterone or more of the report parameters. The report parameters include: thedialed number, or a number pattern with wildcards to “fill in theblanks”, the date range (start date and end date) of calls to beincluded in the report, the inmate station from which the call wasplaced, call type, call completion code (reason for call not completed,and call duration (with logical operators). The call type parameter is adrop-down list box that includes all call types, including toll freecalls (for more details regarding toll free access, please refer to thesection entitled “Toll Free Access”, above.)

The report searches the call record database using the combination ofsearch criteria specified (all search criteria must be met for all callrecords included in the report), If a wildcard is specified for thetelephone number, the report output includes all dialed numbers thatmatch the pattern. For example, if the pattern 01144% was entered, callsto 0114414123, 011442222, etc. will be included in the report.

The report is sorted by telephone number and date and includes thefollowing: Inmate name, Inmate register number Telephone number(s), Dateof call, Time of call, Inmate telephone station used, Recorder channelnumber, Cost of call, and Correctional facility code from which the callwas placed.

The footer at the end of the report includes the total number of callslisted and the total cost of all calls listed.

Specific Reports-Suspended Telephone Accounts Report

The Suspended Telephone Accounts Report is included in the standard listof reports provided with the ITS-II. The Suspended Telephone AccountsReport lists all inmate accounts at the correctional facility whosecalling privileges have been suspended either temporarily orindefinitely. When the report is selected from the Report Generationwindow on the ITS-II graphical user interface, the report generationdialog box prompts the user to select active suspensions, expiredsuspensions, or all suspensions. The report is sorted by inmate registernumber and date of suspension and includes the inmate register number,the date of the suspension, the number of days for which callingprivileges have been suspended, and the date the suspension was or isscheduled to be lifted. The report footer includes the total number ofaccounts that are currently suspended.

Specific Reports-Approved Telephone Number Search Report

The Approved Telephone Number Search Report is included in the standardlist of reports provided with the ITS-II. The Approved Telephone NumberSearch Report lists all inmates who are authorized to call a specifiedtelephone number or numbers based on the search criteria entered for thereport. When the report is selected from the Report Generation window onthe ITS-II graphical user interface, the report generation dialog boxprompts the user to enter the exact telephone number, NPA-NXX-XXXX or011-CC-XXXX . . . , or a telephone number pattern with wildcards to“fill in blanks”. Alternatively, the user can select the Toll FreeAccess check box to list all toll free numbers on inmate allow lists.The report will also indicate if the inmate is authorized to place tollfree calls. The report searches the allow lists for all inmates at thecorrectional facility. If a number matches the specified number exactlyor the number pattern, it is included in the report detail. The reportis sorted by telephone number and inmate resister number and includesthe telephone number, the inmate's register number, and the inmate'sname.

The footer at the end of the report includes the total count of numbersthat matched the search criterion.

For more information on allowing calls to toll free access numbers,please refer to the section entitled “Toll Free Access”.

Specific Reports-Alert Notification Report

The Alert Notification Report is included in the standard list ofreports provided with the ITS-II. The Alert Notification Report listsall calls that generated an alert status. When the report is selectedfrom the Report Generation window, the report generation dialog boxprompts the user to enter the date range (start date and time and enddate and time) of call records to search. The report searches the callrecords for the correctional facility and date range specified. Thereport details are listed in chronological order and include:

Type of alert (inmate or dialed number)

Inmate name, Inmate register number, Telephone number dialed, Date ofcall, Time of call, Inmate telephone station used, Recorder channelnumber, and Cost of call.

The report also includes the count of alerts for each date specified, aswell as the count for the report.

Specific Reports-Telephone Numbers Called by More Than One Inmate

The Telephone Numbers Called by More Than One Inmate Report is includedin the standard list of reports provided with the ITS-II. The reportlists all calls by more than one inmate to the same number within thespecified date range. When the report is selected from the ReportGeneration window, the report generation dialog box prompts the user toselect the summary, detail report or both and to enter the minimumnumber of inmates placing calls to the same number and the date range(within the past thirty days) of calls to be included in the report.

The Telephone Numbers Called by More Than One Inmate Report searches thecall record database for the facilities and date range specified. Onlynumbers dialed by the specified minimum number of inmates or more withinthe date range specified and from the correctional facilities specifiedare selected for the report. The report output is sorted by dialednumber and call start date and time and includes the following callrecord details: Inmate register number, Inmate name, Date of call, Timeof call, Inmate telephone station used, Recorder channel number, Cost ofcall, and Correctional facility code from which the call was placed.

Specific Reports-Telephone Numbers Listed on More Than One TelephoneAccount

The Common Telephone Numbers Listed on More Than One Telephone AccountReport is included in the standard list of reports provided with theITS-II. The report lists allowed telephone numbers. The report includesall telephone numbers that appear on more than one inmate's telephonenumber list and is sorted by telephone number and inmate. The reportdetail includes: the telephone number, the inmate's register number, theinmate's name, the telephone number activation date, and thecorrectional facility code.

Specific Reports-Quantity of Calls Placed

The Quantity of Calls Placed Report is included in the standard list ofreports provided with the ITS-II. The report lists the number of callsby all inmates whose call volume has exceeded the minimum number ofcalls specified within the date range specified. When the report isselected from the Report Generation window, the report generation dialogbox prompts the user to enter the minimum number of calls each inmatemust have placed to be included in the report, the date range (startdate and time and end date and time) of call records to search, and thecall type(s) to be included. Radio buttons are provided for the user toselect the detail or summary report. The report searches all callrecords within the date range specified, for the call type(s) specified,and for the correctional facilities specified and tallies the number ofcalls placed by each inmate. The report details are listed by the numberof calls by inmate in descending order. The detail report lists allcalls placed by the selected inmates and includes the count of calls foreach inmate, The summary report includes the number of calls for eachinmate, the inmate's register number, the inmate's name, and thecorrectional facility to which the inmate is assigned.

Specific Reports-Quantity of Minutes Called

The Quantity of Minutes Called Report is included in the standard listof reports provided with the ITS-II. The report lists the total minutescalled by all inmates whose total call duration exceeds the minimumnumber of minutes specified within the date range specified. When thereport is selected from the Report Generation window, the reportgeneration dialog box prompts the user to enter the minimum number ofminutes each inmate must have placed to be included in the report, thedate range (start date and time and end date and time) of call recordsto search, and the call type(s) to be included. Radio buttons areprovided for the user to select the detail or summary report. The reportsearches all call records within the date range specified, for the calltype(s) specified, and for the correctional facilities specified andsums the call duration for each inmate. The report details are listed bythe total call minutes per inmate in descending order. The detail reportlists all calls placed by the selected inmates and includes the totalcall duration for each inmate. The summary report includes the totalcall duration in minutes, the inmate's register number, the inmate'sname, and the correctional facility to which the inmate is assigned.

Specific Reports-Blocked Telephone Numbers

The Blocked Telephone Numbers Report is included in the standard list ofreports provided with the ITS-II. The report lists all telephone numbersor ranges of numbers that are blocked from being called by inmateseither ITS-II-wide or by individual inmate account. The report searchesthe blocked numbers table on the database as well as the individualinmate telephone number lists and lists the following details for eachblocked number found: the blocked telephone number or range of numbers,the reason for the block (as listed in the database for ITS-II-wide orfacility blocked numbers or deny type for called party blocks), the userwho placed the block, the register number of the inmate (for blocks oninmate telephone number lists), the inmate's name (for blocks on inmatetelephone number lists), and the facility code of the inmate ororigination of the blocked number.

Specific Reports-Extra Dialed Digits Report

The Extra Dialed Digits Report is included in the standard list ofreports provided with the ITS-II. The report lists all inmate telephonecalls during the course of which the FMU detected extra dialed digits.When the Extra Dialed Digits Report is selected from the reports list,the report generation dialog box prompts the user to enter the daterange of calls to be searched for extra dialed digits. The reportsearches the call records for the date and time range entered andreports on all calls placed from the selected correctional facilitieswith a call end reason of extra dialed digits detected. The call recorddetails are listed in chronological order and include: date, time,dialed number, inmate register number, inmate name, inmate telephonestation, recorder channel number, and the correctional facility fromwhich the call was placed.

Specific Reports-Local Exchanges

The Local Exchange Report is included in the standard list of reportsprovided with the ITS-II. The report lists all NPA NXX combinations thatare included in the local calling area for the correctional facility forwhich the report is generated. This report can also be generated fromthe Local Calling Area Maintenance window under the Utilities menu.

Specific Reports-Percentage Grade of Blocking Report

The Percentage Grade Blocking Report is included in the standard list ofreports provided by the ITS-II. The report lists all inmate telephonestations and the percentage of calls blocked for selected hourly timeperiods by call type (FTS Long Distance, local, international, etc.)Radio buttons are used to select the type of report, by telephone or bycall type. When the Percentage Grade Blocking Report is selected fromthe reports list, the report generation dialog box prompts the user toenter the date range of call records to be searched as well as the timeinterval in minutes within each day for reporting the percentageblocking.

The report searches all call records for the selected facility orfacilities within the selected date range and totals the number of callsplaced at the time interval for each hour and the total number of callsthat were denied due to all trunks busy for each inmate telephonestation. The telephone station report lists all inmate stations, thenumber of calls attempted, number of times the station reported alltrunks busy for at the specified interval each hour, and the percentageof calls reporting trunks busy. The call type report lists the percentof all calls by call type reporting all trunks busy at the selectedinterval within each hour of the specified date range.

C.2.2.7.4 BOP Central Office Administrative Reports

The custom report generation tool included with the ITS-II provides theBOP with the capability to create custom reports that can be run againstdata for all facilities nationwide, as well as individual facilities orgroups of facilities.

The BOP can use the Report Schedule feature in the Reports menu toschedule any custom or standard report to be generated automatically atspecific times of the day or days, as well as on specific dates andtimes. These reports can also be included on the reports menu andgenerated on an ad-hoc basis.

Because user access levels are assigned to specific users rather thanspecific workstations, a user can log onto any workstation at anycorrectional facility and have access to the reports assigned to theuser's access.

BOP Central Office users have access to the data for all correctionalfacilities. When they run queries and reports, they have the option ofselecting the individual facility or group of facilities whose data isto be included in the report or query. The results of the queries andreports will include only the data from the selected facilities.

Each correctional facility accesses the database through the ITS-II widearea network (WAN) using Oracle's SQL*Net (a trademark of Oracle). Thenumber of users and facilities that can access the ITS-II centraldatabase simultaneously is limited only by the number of workstations.

C.2.2.7.5 General Revenue Reports

In addition to the monthly maintenance reports described elsewhere inthis specification, the ITS-II can provide the monthly reports describedin the following sections.

The ITS-II can produce these reports in both hard copy and electronicmedium formats. All revenue figures are calculated and displayed in U.S.dollars and cents.

For the purposes of the general revenue reports described in thefollowing sections, direct dial call types are defined as: direct diallocal, direct dial long distance, direct dial international (excludingCanada and Mexico), direct dial Canada, and direct dial Mexico.

For the purposes of the general revenue reports described in thefollowing sections, collect call types are defined as: collect (otherthan international), collect Canada, and collect Mexico.

Additional call types can readily be added as necessary.

Specific Monthly Revenue Reports

The ITS-II can provide the Monthly Revenue reports described below:

Specific Monthly Revenue Reports-Summary Minutes by Call Type

The Summary Minute by Call Type report includes the total number ofcalls for each call type, the total minutes called for each call type,and the total monthly revenue for each call type.

The Total column on the Summary Minutes by Call Type report displays thecalculated totals for direct dial calls and collect calls. The GrandTotal column displays the calculated total of all calls for eachcorrectional facility for the month being reported on.

The Total column on the Summary Minutes by Call Type report displays thecalculated totals for direct dial minutes, collect minutes and totalminutes for each correctional facility for the month being reported on.The Grand Total column displays the calculated total of all minutescalled for each correctional facility for the month being reported on.

The Total footer of the Summary Minutes by Call Type report includes thetotal calls for each direct dial and collect call type, all direct dialcalls, all collect calls, and all calls for all correctional facilities.The footer also includes the total minutes called for each direct dialcall type, collect call type, all direct dial calls, all collect calls,and all calls for all correctional facilities.

Specific Monthly Revenue Reports-Monthly Distribution of Revenues

Monthly Distribution of Revenues Reports can be submitted to the BOPwithin 60 days of the end of each month in which the calls occurred. Thereports provide a summation of all calls placed through the ITS for theentire BOP. The information included for each call type includes: Totalsminutes by call type for direct dial, Rate per minute due the telephoneservice provider by call type for direct dial, Amount due the telephoneservice provider by call type for direct dial, Grand totals for directdial minutes and amount due the telephone service provider, Grossbillable revenue by call type for collect calls, Percent due the BOP bycall type for collect calls, Amount due BOP by call type for collectcalls, and Grand totals gross billable revenue and amount due BOP. Thenet revenues due to the telephone service provider or the BOP areincluded at the end of the report.

In addition, the Monthly Distribution of Revenues Report includes thefollowing details for each correctional facility: Correctional facilityname, Direct dial minutes by call type, Rate charged to the BOP by thetelephone service provider for direct dial calls by call type, Amountdue the telephone service provider for direct dial calls by call type,Summary totals for direct dial calls (minutes and amount due the thetelephone service provider) by correctional facility, Summary totals fordirect dial calls (minutes and amount due the the telephone serviceprovider) across all correctional facilities, Collect call minutes bycall type, Summary of collect call minutes by correctional facility,Summary of collect call minutes across all correctional facilities,Gross billable collect call revenue by call type, BOP percentage ofgross billable collect call revenue by call type, Amount due the BOP bythe telephone service provider for collect calls, Summary totals forcollect call revenues (gross billable and due the BOP) by correctionalfacility, and Summary totals for collect call revenues (gross billableand due the BOP) across all correctional facilities.

Specific Monthly Revenue Reports-Monthly ITS-II Direct Dial and CollectRevenue Analysis

The monthly revenue reports include the Monthly ITS-II Direct Dial andCollect Revenue Analysis Report includes a column for each month in thefiscal year, starting with October (October 1) and ending with the endof the current month (or September 30). The data in each column includesthe total revenue for each correctional facility by call type (directdial and collect). A ‘totals’ line for each call type includes the totalrevenue for each call type for each month included in the report. TheFiscal Year Total column includes the total revenue for each facilityfor all months included in the reports by call type. The ‘grand total’lines include grand totals for all correctional facilities for alldirect dial call types, all collect call types and all calls for eachmonth as well as for all months included in the report.

Specific Monthly Revenue Reports-Direct Dial Sales by CorrectionalFacility

The Direct Dial Sales by Correctional Facility Report is included withthe monthly revenue reports. This report is sorted by correctionalfacility and includes the fiscal year average inmate population to date(derived from the number of ITS-II accounts that have had any activityduring the time period), the direct dial revenue for each direct dialcall type, the annualized revenue per inmate for each direct dial calltype, and the number of active inmate accounts with no activity duringthe period for each direct dial call type. Totals for each direct dialcall type are calculated and displayed, and grand totals for all directdial call types are included at the end of the report.

Specific Monthly Revenue Reports-Inmate Usage

The monthly Inmate Usage Report is sorted by category (collect anddirect dial) and correctional facility and includes the followinginformation for each inmate for collect and direct dial calls: theminutes called for the month for each collect and direct dial call type,the total minutes for all collect and direct dial call types for themonth, the number of calls for each collect and direct dial call typefor the month, and the total calls for all collect and direct dial calltypes. Grand totals are included for minutes calls and number of callsfor each inmate for all calls (collect and direct dial). In addition,the report includes the number of ITS-II accounts that have had activityand the number of active inmates with no activity during the reportingperiod for each correctional facility.

Totals and averages are calculated and displayed for each column,including the minutes called and the number of calls.

Specific Monthly Revenue Reports-Cumulative Usage For Fiscal Year

The monthly revenue reports includes the Cumulative Usage for FiscalYear Report which includes the percentage of total call minutes of eachdirect dial call type, each collect call type, all direct dial calltypes, all collect call types. This report includes a column for eachfiscal month starting with the beginning of October and ending with theend of the reporting month (or September). Totals and averages arecalculated and displayed for each field and each month and all monthsincluded in the report.

Administrative Requirements-Data Security

The ITS-II includes a comprehensive system of controlling and backing upall data within the ITS-II, as described in the sections entitled“ITS-II Backup Capability” and “Data Archiving”, below. Control ismaintained for all ITS-II data, whether it is stored on the FMU, the COFservers, on backup media, or on archive equipment.

The following measures are followed in order to maintain data integrity:(1) All hard disks are degaussed or reformatted (“wiped”) prior to beingused in any other system. (2) All hard disks are degaussed orreformatted (“wiped”) prior to being shipped to any outside vendor. (3)All hard copy (paper) reports are shredded prior to their disposal atthe telephone service provider's.

All backup and archive data is maintained in a fire proof compartmentand in an area separate from the ITS-II equipment.

The ITS-II network will not be accessible from, nor have access to thepublic Internet; however, the PCOF internal network will be attached toboth the ITS-II network and the public Internet. The ITS-II includes avery restrictive firewall between the ITS-II network and the PCOFinternal network. This firewall will block packets which contain asource or destination address that is not part of the ITS-II network orthe PCOF internal network. In addition, the ITS-II firewall will blockthe traditional log-in and file transfer protocols, so only the Kerberosauthenticated versions will be allowed to pass. The firewall will alsoallow E-mail to pass between the PCOF internal network and the ITS-IInetwork.

The PCOF internal network is separated from the public Internet byanother firewall, and only a controlled small number of PCOF machinesare directly connected to the Internet.

The connection between the ITS-II network and the PCOF internal networkis present to ease maintenance activities. However, in case of a majortransient problem on the public Internet (such as the Internet worm of1988), the ITS-II network can be disconnected from the PCOF network, orthe PCOF network can be disconnected from the public Internet withoutaffecting ITS-II call processing.

ITS-II Backup Capability

The ITS-II includes two DEC ALPHA 8200 database servers, each with 300GB of RAID level 5 disk storage to be used as the ITS-II centralservers. These two servers are geographically isolated from each other.The primary server replicates data to the geographically remotesecondary server in real time. In the event of the loss of the primaryserver, this arrangement allows the secondary server to take over theoperations of the primary server without first going through a recoveryprocess. The speed of the servers are such that the backup activitiesdescribed in the following paragraphs have no impact on the ITS-IIapplications running on the servers.

The primary server includes two TL812 DLT (digital linear tape)multiple-tape backup units, which each have 1.94 terabytes of storagecapacity and which are each fed data as it comes into the PCOF. TheTL812 DLT is an automated tape library using four DLT drives. It has acapacity of 52 tape cartridges. Each tape holds 20 GB of uncompresseddata and more than twice that amount, uncompressed.

One DLT tape unit is used to create a real time backup of databaserecords as they come into the server, and the other DLT multiple-tapebackup unit is used to create an archive record of the database recordsas they come into the server. The remote server also includes a DLTmultiple-tape backup unit that creates a backup of the remote server asrecords are passed from the primary to the secondary server. In the caseof a disaster, the database can be restored from the tape backup unitsin less than 8 hours.

The speed of the server processors and the tape drive bus speeds aresuch that database records can be continuously updated on the threeseparate DLT backup units without causing a degradation of systemperformance.

In addition, the ITS-II provides an additional backup strength in thateach site FMU has the disk capacity to store 30 days of the most recentdatabase records.

The extensive backup capability, as explained above, will protectagainst the loss of data at both central server locations and at any BOPcorrectional facility for any type of system failure.

Each database record in the database is concurrently available in sixlocations, limited only by the transmission speeds on the links andoperating speed of the tape drives:

on the site FMU (30 days of the most recent data,

on the primary central server,

on the DLT backup unit on the primary server,

on the remote central server, and

on the DLT backup unit on the remote server.

Because the ITS-II stores data in the redundant locations listed above,the BOP will be able to recover all data, to the point of full systemoperation, using any one, or a combination of the six unit data storageand backup techniques.

C.2.3.3 Data Archiving

The ITS-II provides hardware and software to support archiving of allinmate data. The ITS-II archiving system provides the BOP with real-timeaccess to all current and archived data. The archiving system supportsin excess of seven (7) years of on-line storage.

Archived data on the Archive Server can be viewed, queried, and reportedby the BOP Central Office staff in the same manner as the ITS-II realtime operations, without having to disrupt ongoing operations. The BOPstaff simply choose the “Archiving” menu option, and they are given awindow to view, query, or report on the archived data.

The ITS-II data archival capability is provided through the PCOF DigitalEquipment 8200 computer (A trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation).This computer has a two terabyte Digital Linear Tape (DLT) magneticstorage unit connected as part of its I/O subsystem. The DLT unit willbe configured with an Oracle RDBMS. This RDBMS will contain all of thearchived data from the primary inmate database. Thus, all BOP archiveddata will always be on line. The DLT unit supports search and retrievalfunctions of historical inmate telephone account information.

The ITS-II Archiving system's RDBMS contains all relevant inmate datacopied from the main RDBMS. The same full administrative query andreporting functions can be performed on the ITS-II Archiving system thatthe main RDBMS supported.

The ITS-II will automatically archive all inmate data from the workingdatabase to the Archive database each day. This daily archiving providesan additional level of data redundancy in the event of a system failure.The ITS-II main working databases always contain, at a minimum, thetwelve most current months of data.

The ITS-II updates, or creates if no record previously exists, a recordin each inmate account whenever financial data is deleted from theCentral server databases.

ITS-II External Interfaces

The ITS-II interfaces to the FPPOS, to institution voice recordingequipment, to the BOP Automated Intelligence Management System, and theBOP LAN/WAN at each site.

ITS-II External Interfaces-Federal Prison Point of Sale (FPPOS) System

At all correctional facilities, the ITS-II will be connected to the LANsupporting the FPPOS. The BOP Central Office has access to all FPPOSservers through the ITS-II WAN.

The ITS-II can access the FPPOS file systems as a NetWare user. NetWareclient operations are part of the LINUX operating system utilities.

The ITS-II is capable of performing the open, close, edit, delete, andcreate record operations on Btrieve files.

ITS-II External Interfaces-Multiple FPPOS Systems at BOP Facilities

Because the intelligent hub associated with the FMU has 16 ports thatare each capable of interfacing with an FPPOS system, the ITS-II iscapable of interfacing with multiple FPPOS systems. In addition, asecond intelligent hub can be installed, permitting the ITS-II tointerface with up to 32 FPPOS systems at a single site.

ITS-II External Interfaces-FPPOS Transactions

The ITS-II s configured to interface with FPPOS files to performfinancial transactions. The following transactions are implementedthrough the interface:

(1) Inmate-initiated transfer of funds from the Commissary account totheir ITS-II account.

(2) BOP initiated electronic transfer of funds from the Commissaryaccount to the ITS-II account.

(3) BOP initiated transfer of ITS-II account funds to the Commissaryaccount for inmate releases.

(4) Inmate Commissary account balance inquiries. The ITS-II will be ableto read existing FPPOS Btrieve data files.

(5) Inmate initiated transfer of funds from their ITS-II account totheir Commissary account. This function requires writing to existingFPPOS Btrieve data files.

Refer to the section entitled “Inmate Telephone Account FinancialTransactions”, above, for the manner in which these transactions will beaccomplished.

ITS-II External Interfaces-Institution Voice Recorder Channel Number

The ITS-II provides an analog voice path to the correctional facilityrecording equipment so that each inmate call can be recorded as it is inprogress. The recorder channel number, upon which each inmate stationchannel is being recorded, which is assigned to each inmate telephonewithin the correctional facility, can be entered and modified throughthe “circuits tab” feature on the Facility Information Maintenancewindow. The channel number will be stored on each call record on theITS-II database. The call date, time, and the recorder channel number ofthe telephone is displayed on reports and displayed on the screenthrough the use of the graphical user interface, in order to help withinvestigations.

ITS-II External Interfaces-Automated Intelligence Management System(AIMS)

The ITS-II provides data to the BOP Special Investigative Supervisor(SIS) AIMS system at each individual site.

The AIMS system is connected to the ITS-II via a serial port with aminimum transfer speed of 300 Kbps. Through this serial port, data aboutthe inmate calls is transferred to the AIMS system. Where necessary, dueto the distance from the ITS-II to the SIS office, a modem can beconnected to transmit the data.

The data transferred to the AIMS system at a given correctionalinstitution will consist of the following for each inmate call made atthat institution: the inmate register number, the data of the call, thetime the call was initiated, the call duration, the telephone numberdialed, the station set number, and the channel number on which the callwas recorded.

The SIS staff at each correctional facility have the ability to, at anytime, use the provided graphical user interface to request that data betransferred from the ITS-II to the AIMS system. The information will betransferred in chronological order for the period requested. The staffcan request this information transfer for a defined time and date.

The FMU also incorporates an integrated Alert Recording System (ARS)which will help the institution SIS staff by making it possible for themto listen to recent inmate telephone conversations without loading andlistening to tapes. The FMU has the ability to store in excess of 400hours of conversations, automatically eliminating older recorded callsso that new calls can be recorded. This capability, together with theARS real time alert notification capability allows the SIS staff toselect and listen to recent “alert” calls without loading tapes. For afull description of the ARS capabilities, see the section entitled“Miscellaneous Features”, below.

The FMU also has the capability to supply a real time feed to the AIMSsystem, so that AIMS data can be continuously updated.

The ITS-II will enable the BOP staff with the appropriate access levelto set a user defined time and date range for the data transmission tothe AIMS system. The data will be output in chronological order for thedate range entered. The data transfer rate can be set from 100 baud to1.4 megabits per second. The data transfer rate may also be set at astandard rate (i.e. 300 Kbs) BOP system-wide,

ITS-II External Interfaces-BOP LAN/WAN

The ITS-II is able to interface with the BOP's WAN and LAN at eachcorrectional facility upon request.

Access Control

The ITS-II uses Oracle's capability of granting roles to users inproviding the BOP with ITS-II access control. Oracle does not limit thenumber of user levels that can be defined. The Access Control tab on theNational Information Maintenance window includes multiple selection listboxes for granting access to the following ITS-II objects: graphicaluser interface menus, windows and tabs; reports; features.

The ITS-II will be configured with the BOP Central Office access leveland a BOP Central Office user. The BOP Central Office user will begranted the highest access level, with access to all ITS-II menus,windows, database tables, reports, and features. BOP Central Officeusers can use the Access Control tab on the National InformationMaintenance window to create lower levels of access. Pick lists areprovided for selecting ITS-II objects and access privileges to thoseobjects for each access level.

The User Administration tab on the National and Facilities InformationMaintenance window provides the BOP Central Office the ability to createindividual users (by user name and password) and assign each user to auser access level. The User Administration tab is also used to assignusers to correctional facilities.

The Access Control tab on the National Information Maintenance windowsprovides the BOP Central Office with pick lists for assigning menu,window, tab, report, and feature access to each lower level along with acorresponding access privilege. Access privileges include: read only,query, data entry, update, report generation.

ITS-II database access is hierarchical in that the BOP Central Officewill create lower access levels as subsets of BOP Central Office access.Lower access levels can then be created as subsets of those accesslevels. This process continues until the BOP Central Office has createdthe desired access levels. Additional access levels can be created asneeded.

When an authorized BOP user launches the ITS-II graphical userinterface, the ITS-II log-in window prompts the user to enter a username and password.

Users are added to the ITS-II using the User Administration tab on theNational and Facility Information Maintenance window. The BOP CentralOffice will create “Accounting Supervisor” level user(s) at allcorrectional facilities. As long as the Accounting Supervisor accesslevel has been granted access to the User Administration tab, all userswith the Accounting Supervisor access level have the ability to createusers for all other BOP Central Office defined access levels at thecorrectional facility.

The ITS-II will use Oracle passwords for access to the ITS-II graphicaluser interface and ITS-II database. All passwords must contain between 4and 8 characters. Passwords are composed of the letters A–Z (uppercaseand lowercase and the digits 0–9. By default, all passwords will expireafter 6 months, at which time the user be prompted to enter a newpassword. The ITS-II-wide expiration term can be changed at the requestof the BOP Central Office. Passwords are assigned to individual usernames. All BOP staff with access to the ITS-II will be assigned a uniqueuser name/password combinations. The user name/password combinationserves as the user's only means with which to access the ITS-II.Passwords are stored on the database using DES encryption. The passworddisplay is masked on the window when the password is entered into theITS-II upon creation of a user account as well as when the password isentered to gain access to the ITS-II. The BOP has the choice oftransmitting passwords over the wide are network from the workstationsat the correctional facilities to the central servers as clear text orencrypted. The BOP Central Office assigns the Accounting Supervisoraccess level to a user and grants the user access privileges to the datafor the correctional facility. The Accounting Supervisor then has useradministration privileges for the correctional facility for creatingusers and passwords. The Accounting Supervisor can only assign accesslevels to users that are the same as the Accounting Supervisors orlower. When the Accounting Supervisor assigns user access levels toindividual users at the facility, those users are automaticallyrestricted to data for that correctional facility unless the Supervisorhas access rights to data for other facilities. The AccountingSupervisor can assign users access to data for one or all of thosefacilities.

The ability to configure the ITS-II to allow either multiple of singleinstance log-ons for BOP users can be specified in the Oracle profile.

Passwords used for authentication will comply with the requirements ofFederal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) 112,Passwords Usage, or its successor.

PCOF and BCOF personnel's access to the ITS-II database will be by username and password as assigned by the BOP Central Office. The user levelassigned to the PCOF and BCOF staff will be the same or lower than thatassigned to BOP Central Office staff. Staff access can therefore bemonitored and controlled in the same way BOP staff access is monitoredand controlled.

The network management system is capable of identifying all remoteterminals and network workstations.

DES encryption is used for to protect all information during datatransfers regardless of the network used to transfer the data.

When the ITS-II application is launched at a workstations or remoteterminals, the ITS-II displays the following banner: “WARNING! Byaccessing and using this computer system you are consenting to systemmonitoring for law enforcement purposes. Unauthorized use of, or accessto, this computer system may subject you to criminal prosecution andpenalties.”

In order to log onto the ITS-II, all users are prompted to agree withthe consent statement or to quit. Only upon user consent is the log-indialog box displayed.

Oracle's Audit capability maintains an audit trail on the database ofall user activities from the time a user is connected to the time theuser logs off. In addition, the Audit captures all failed accessattempts and attempts to breach ITS-II security.

All audit trail log tables on the database are maintained on the centraldatabase for the number of days specified by the BOP without requiringmanual intervention or a degradation in the use of the ITS-II.

A copy of all audit trail logs is maintained on the archive database forseven years.

The ITS-II graphical user interface includes a browser for reviewing allaudit trail log files. English language searches can be performed usinga Find function similar to that found in word processing applications.In addition, audit trail logs can be exported to report files forviewing online or printing.

BOP Central Office users are granted access privileges to the data forall BOP correctional facilities. When the Central Office staff createsAccounting Supervisor users on the User Administration tab on theNational Information Maintenance window, a multiple selection list boxallows them to select the correctional facility or facilities orfacility groups to which to grant Accounting Supervisor users accessprivileges. An Accounting Supervisor with access to the data for morethan one correctional facility can then use the User Administration tabon the Facility Information Maintenance window to grant lower levelusers access to one or more of those facilities.

Users with access to data for more than one correctional facility arecapable of performing functions and running reports for all of thosefacilities or any combination of those facilities. When a user withaccess to data for more than one correctional facility enters a queryfrom an ITS-II graphical user interface window, the query tool, or theSQL*Plus utility, that user can view and modify the data for allfacilities to which he/she has access. When the user enters reportselection criteria, the report generation dialog box includes a multipleselection list box listing the facilities to which the user has accessprivileges. The report will include the data for the selected facilityor facilities.

Fraud Detection

The ITS-II has several features and reports that assist the BOP indetecting and eliminating fraud perpetrated by inmates and theiraccomplices. There are many different potential types of fraud andmisuse of inmate phone systems. The major categories are fraudulent useof the ITS-II, fraudulent use of systems outside of the BOP, and actsthat circumvent the intended use of the ITS-II.

The ITS-II utilizes its graphical user interface to enable or disableeach of the features listed below. There are two methods for reportingthe detected activity that are each turned on or off by the use ofgraphical user interface. Only the appropriate level is granted accessto these features. The second methodology utilized for fraud activityreport generation is that the BOP staff can manually run one of thestandard supplied fraud reports.

The BOP staff that have been granted access to the real time frauddetection notification can enable or disable the feature through theITS-II graphical user interface.

In addition, the ITS-II provides the BOP with the ability to send thereal time fraud detection notification to the user or users that havebeen listed in the graphical user interface.

Each of the fraud features can be enabled to terminate or not terminatethe phone call in progress.

The detection and prevention capabilities included in the ITS-II,related to fraudulent, illicit, or unauthorized activity, are describedin the following paragraphs.

In each of paragraphs below may be found the specific activities and themethodology and capabilities of the ITS-II to detect and/or prevent theactivity.

The ITS-II continually monitors both the inmate station and the networkside of the line for any extra digits dialed by either party. DTMF digitdetection occurs with DTMF levels as low as −25 Dbm.

In addition to meeting typical commercial requirements the ITS-II DTMFdetection capabilities are of central office quality.

Central office quality DTMF detection provides significantly less talkoff (false digit detection) and also allows the ITS-II to detect muchlower DTMF levels than conventional DTMF receivers. The result is thatthe ITS-II can detect extra dialed digits with far greater precisionthan conventional DTMF detectors.

Through the graphical user interface, the BOP can set the number ofextra dialed digits that must be detected before call termination and/orreport generation are initiated.

In addition, the BOP can also set two additional parameters: the timebetween each extra dialed digit, and the total time for the number ofdigits to be detected before the ITS-II terminates and/or reports on thedetected activity.

Stop All Digits (SAD): The ITS-II Alert Recording System (ARS) (see thesection entitled “Miscellaneous Features”, below, for a completedescription of ARS) feature can also be enabled for SAD as well as extradialed digit detection. ARS will be activated after the event isdetected; the previous 10 seconds of the call just before activationwill also be recorded.

The ITS-II includes a standard report which lists the calls which havemet the BOP-set requirements for the number of extra digits dialed. Thisreport, entitled “Extra Digits Dialing Report” is described in the“Specific Reports” section above. The report includes the recorderchannel as well as the date and time of the occurrence.

In addition, the ITS-II Alert Recording System (ARS) feature can beenabled as well to record the previous 10 seconds of the call justbefore the extra dialed digit detection threshold was met.

This feature will enable the BOP staff investigating the detection toquickly review the ITS-II recording to determine if further listening onthe SIS recorders is needed. This feature will enable SIS or other BOPstaff to preview the occurrence before having to unnecessarily reloadtapes.

The ITS-II contains a suspicious dialing detection feature. This featurecan be enabled or disabled through the ITS-II graphical user interface.When enabled, the ITS-II monitors the inmate stations for a programmablenumber of unsuccessful attempts at call completion. For example, if aninmate station goes on and off hook three times in a row within aprogrammed time frame, the ITS-II will generate a suspicious dialingalarm. Additionally, if three invalid PIN/phone number attempts are madewithin a programmed time frame by an inmate that will also activate asuspicious dialing alarm.

The ARS feature can be enabled through the graphical user interface torecord all attempts after the threshold has been met for suspiciousdialing. This will assist the BOP staff in quickly investigatingsuspicious dialing attempts. All programmable parameters for thissuspicious dialing pattern detection feature are configurable throughthe graphical user interface. Report generation and real timenotification are also configurable through the graphical user interface.

Fraud Detection-Inmate-to-Inmate Detection

The ITS-II has a feature called Inmate-To-Inmate Detection (ITID) thatis designed to detect when two or more inmates on different inmatestations anywhere throughout the BOP system, including differentfacilities, make calls through the ITS-II and are conversing on the samephone call.

The basic operation of the feature is as follows. The ITS-II places aninmate-inaudible signal on the outbound phone connection towards thetelephone company network. This extremely low level signal serves as apilot signal for other ITS-II detection circuits on the BOP inmatenetwork. Each ITS-II outbound circuit contains transmitter and receivercircuitry for ITID. When an ITID receiver detects a pilot signal fromanother ITID transmitter, the ITID transmitter on the receiving endgenerates a very short duration high level burst signal that transmitsthe correctional facility number, inmate register number and callsequence number. The high level burst signal sounds like a brief bit ofstatic or noise on the phone line to the callers. In the FMU, thedigital signal processors carry out the “transmit” and the “receive”functions.

The ITID feature can be enabled or disabled by the BOP through thegraphical user interface. Real time notification and report generationcan also be enabled or disabled through the ITS-II graphical userinterface. The ITID report and real time notification containinformation on the date, time, station number, recorder channel andcorresponding information for the distant end ITID detected caller(s).In addition, the ITS-II Alert Recording System can also be enabled ordisabled for ITID detected calls. ARS will be activated if enabled afterITID detection occurs, and the previous 10 seconds of audio prior toITID detection will also be recorded. This feature makes it easier forSIS to determine the nature of the call.

Fraud Detection-Added Call Detection

The inventor has done extensive research into the problem of inmates whogain access to unauthorized phones outside of the inmate phone systems.While there is no current technical methodology for stopping 100% ofthis activity, there are ways of reducing the activity.

The inmate phone call industry has primarily focused its efforts to datearound detecting 3-way calls by click detection. The telephone systemscurrently deployed in the industry “listen” for a click, silence, andthen another click, and if this sequence is detected, these systems willeither disconnect the call or alert the correctional facility of the3-way call. The major problem with this detection methodology is thatthe U.S. Telephone industry is upgrading its switching infrastructure tocentral offices that do not produce clicks when customers utilize their3-way calling. The majority of the industry will most likely havecompleted its upgrades within the next 4 years.

Three way call detection is only one way that inmates are able to reachauthorized phone numbers. Call conferencing with a second phone line bythe called party, call forwarding to another number by the called party,or utilization of a new upgraded central office which does not generateclicks when 3 way calling is activated are a few of the alternativesavailable to inmates who want to circumvent the 3-way call detectionschemes.

There are two separate components to the problem. The first componentdeals with called parties who want to receive calls from inmates thatare not on the inmate's pre-approved list. The second component dealswith called parties that do not want to receive calls from inmates whoare not on the inmate's pre-authorized list. The first piece is solvedthrough the GOTU™ process (see description of the Deny Future Callsfeature, above, for a detailed description of GOTU™).

The second piece of the problem is solved with a new technology calledAdded Call Detection (ACD). Once answer supervision is received by theFMU, the FMU enables its ACD Technology. ACD utilizes Digital SignalProcessors that are continuously monitoring the network side of the callfor any type of call progress network signaling. This includes dialtone, DTMF digits, ringing tones, busy tones, and/or SIT tones. If theFMU detects any of these conditions, the call can be terminated by theFMU, the call can be immediately alerted for investigative use, or thecall will be allowed to continue and the call record will be flaggedwith an appropriate message indicating that the FMU has detected anadded call. ARS can be activated for this feature as well.

ACD will continue to provide added call detection even when the entireU.S. Telephone infrastructure is upgraded to clickless 3-way calling.

ACD will reliably detect very low level call progress signals as well.Its detection capabilities continue to operate on signals as low as −25Dbm.

Another new technology incorporated within the FMU is called BypassElimination. Bypass Elimination is a process that verifies that localcalls dialed by inmates are not being remotely call forwarded to othernumbers. See the section entitled “Miscellaneous Features”, below, for adetailed description of the use of the Bypass Elimination feature tostop call forwarding.

The ITS-II's ability to detect the five typically fraudulent types ofcalls are as follows:

A. Call forwarding to telephone numbers which have been automaticallyforwarded to another telephone number by the local telephone company:Controlled by the Bypass Elimination feature described in the sectionentitled “Miscellaneous Features”, below.

B. Call forwarding to telephone numbers which have been automaticallyforwarded by called parties through the use of feature groups providedby the local telephone company: Controlled by the Bypass Eliminationfeature.

C. Calls to telephone numbers which “hook flash,” dial another numberand complete the three way call: 100% detected by ACD technology whencall progress tones are present and detected.

D. Conference calls facilitated through customer provided switchingequipment: 100% detected when call progress tones are present anddetected.

Display of Calls in Progress

Certain BOP staff, as designated by the BOP Central Office, shall havereal-time access (via a display) to information on all calls inprogress. This feature will give BOP staff with the proper access levelthe capability to see, real time, the following information at a minimumon all telephone calls currently in progress: Inmate register number,Inmate name, Telephone number called, Called party information, Anyassociation with a silent monitor number, Recorder channel number,Duration of call, Charge of call, Correctional facility account assignedto, Location of telephone, Type of call, and Call denial reason.

The ITS-II features one of the most advanced and sophisticated real timeDisplay of Calls In Progress System (DOCIPS) in the industry. The realtime display system provides all of the information requested by the BOPas well as several other non-requested features. The display systemincorporates a graphical user interface for control and optionselection, and includes the BOP's minimum requirements of displaying theinmate register number, inmate name, telephone number called, calledparty information, the silent monitor number assigned to the telephone,recorder channel number, duration of call, charge of call, correctionalfacility account is assigned to, location of telephone, type of call,and call denial reason.

The ITS-II display is refreshed at a minimum rate of once per second.During refresh, all display fields that require updating are written tothe screen. The screen is also refreshed for new calls and calls thathave ended. The DOCIPS has several different modes of operation. It canbe set to run in Summary Facility Mode where a brief summary of allcalls is provided. The DOCIPS can be set to run in Normal Mode wheremore information per call is provided. The third mode provides thegreatest level of detail, this is called Detail Mode. Detail Modeincludes a pre-loaded image of the inmate. This image can be transferredfrom existing BOP systems or can be taken with digital imagingequipment.

The Detail Mode of operation of the display system also suppliesinformation related to other features described in the section entitled“Miscellaneous Features”, below, such as the Alert Recording System(ARS) activation, and the Bypass Elimination feature. Fraud detection isalso displayed on the DOCIPS.

The final mode of operation supported on the DOCIPS is called the SystemWide mode. This level displays a summary of all calls in progress acrossall institutions.

The DOCIPS supports a mode of displaying only alert calls. If the ITS-IIstaff wants to only view alert calls, the display system can be placedin Alerts Only Mode.

Call Cutoff Capability

The ITS-II provides BOP staff with the appropriate access level thecapability to immediately and remotely turn telephones off and on byindividual telephones, groups of telephones, or for an entirecorrectional facility. This capability is provided through the ITS-IIDisplay Calls in Progress feature and described in the paragraphentitled “Display of Calls in Progress”, above. The ITS-II system has anoption to immediately cut-off calls in progress.

In addition, the ITS-II also enables the BOP staff to disable phonecalls. The disable feature allows the present call to finish and thenprevents further calls from being processed. Inmates who attempt to makecalls while the phones are disabled are provided a message indicatingthat the system is currently disabled for calling.

BOP Number Blocking

The Calling Features tab on the National Information Maintenance windowprovides the BOP with a means for editing feature groups on a nationalbasis, by groups of facilities, or by individual facility. Featuregroups are created and modified in the Feature Group tab. The CallingFeatures tab includes: a drop-down list box for selecting an individualfacility name, the name assigned to a group of facilities, or “All” forall facilities; a drop-down list box for selecting or displaying thefeature group (such as National, Facility Group, Facility) assignednationwide, to the group of facilities, or to the individual facility.

The “Number Blocking” feature allows BOP staff with the appropriate useraccess level to enter telephone numbers that will be automaticallyblocked from being called by inmates even when a blocked number orblocked NPA NXX combination is on an inmate's allow list.

When the “number blocking” feature is included in the feature groupselected, the Calling Features tab includes a window for viewing,entering, and modifying blocked numbers and ranges of blocked numbers(by NPANXX) and the reasons for blocking the numbers or ranges ofnumbers. Ranges of NPANXX combinations are blocked by putting a minussign in front of the NPANXX. For example, −800 000 through 800 999,which blocks all calls to 800 numbers. Exceptions to the ranges can bemade by putting a plus sign in front of the non-blocked range. Forexample, +800 233 through 800 233, which tells the FMU not to blockcalls to 800-233 numbers. If an allow list is required for an inmate,the numbers must be on the inmate's allow list in order for the inmateto place calls to the numbers. BOP staff with the appropriate usersaccess level can add, modify and delete blocked numbers and ranges ofblocked numbers for the selected facility, group of facilities, or allfacilities. Blocked number lists apply to all inmates at the selectedfacilities.

If an individual facility does not have a blocked numbers list, theblocked numbers list for the facility group to which the facility isassigned applies. If the facility is not assigned to a group or thegroup does not have a blocked numbers list, the blocked numbers listspecified for all facilities applies. The blocked number list for afacility or group of facilities can be disabled by removing the “numberblocking” feature from the feature group in the Feature Group tab. Whenthe list is disabled, the list for the next higher level (facility groupor all facilities) applies.

When the Number Blocking feature window is active, the Report Generationbutton on the toolbar brings up the Report Generation dialog box for theBlocked Numbers report allowing BOP staff to run the Blocked Numbersreport for all blocked numbers in the database by inmate, by facility,by facility group, or for all facilities. The report includes theblocked numbers and reason for each block.

System Requirements

None of the ITS-II data, such as account information and balances, arestored on smart cards or magnetic swipe cards, and inmates do not useswipe cards to access the telephone.

All inmate account information and call records are stored on hard diskson the central server. A second copy of the database is stored on thesecondary remote server by updating this server continuously from theprimary server. Both database servers store this information in a RAIDconfiguration. In addition, the primary server is continuously backed upby two DLT (Digital Linear Tape) systems and the secondary server iscontinuously backed up by one DLT system. Finally, the FMU at each sitecontains hard disk storage that is used to store the most recent 30 daysof database records.

Inmates access the telephone by using a PAC (Personal Access Code), thathas been determined by the BOP.

The remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities of the ITS-II systemminimize the amount of monitoring needing to be done by the BOP staff bygiving the ITS-MOCC technicians the tools to identify problems beforethey are reported by the correctional facilities.

This is accomplished by setting up automatic, periodic processes ofelectronic data communications between the “ITS-MOCC” (MaintenanceOperations Control Center), the centralized servers, and thecorrectional institutions. These communication processes monitor variousaspects of the system and generate alarms when defined thresholds arereached. The various alarms generated by the monitoring tools aredelivered to the ITS-MOCC's technicians via alarm messages thatautomatically appear on monitoring screens and a via automatic pagesthat are sent directly to the technicians, no matter where they arelocated at the moment.

These tools allow the ITS-MOCC technicians to monitor various memory,disk space, and database conditions on the central servers, remoteworkstations, and the call handling process on the FMU at each of thecorrectional facilities. The ITS-II is capable of remotely monitoringwhether each individual inmate telephone is physically connected to thesystem and is capable of simulating an individual inmate telephone goingoff hook in order to remotely monitor the network. Finally, the networkmanagement system monitors the communications links and equipment,system wide, creating an alarm fault when there is a problem ordegradation in service. These tools can also be tuned in various ways todifferent levels to allow the ITS-MOCC technicians to monitor specificconditions more or less closely, as issues require.

For a more detailed discussion of the ITS-II program to maximizeup-time, please refer to the section entitled “Miscellaneous Features”,below.

The ITS-II contains a number of redundant system components that provideon-line recovery of the database during a failure, allowing the systemto continue to operate while a failed portion is recovered. Each siteFMU contains a copy of the most recent 30 days of call records. The twocentral database servers (the primary and remote server) each operatewith RAID disk arrays to provide another level of redundancy. The RAIDin the primary server provides redundancy to allow the system tocontinue operation in the event of a failure and the secondary servercan back up the primary server to provide another level of on-linerecovery from the loss of data.

For a more detailed discussion of the ITS-II program to maximizeup-time, please refer to the section entitled “Miscellaneous Features”,below.

The ITS-II equipment uses Category III wiring for all data and voiceservices.

System Capacities

The ITS-II has been designed to meet or exceed all BOP requirements forsystem capacity. If capacities are exceeded due to unanticipatedutilization by the BOP, the system capacities will immediately beincreased. As part of the MUMS philosophy, all ITS-II componentsaffecting system capacity and performance are regularly monitored forappropriate system operation. When a component or components showdegradation in performance or a system capacity appears that it mayeventually be exceeded, maintenance personnel can take action to assureproper operation and continued compliance with the desired performancelevel.

A. Individual Inmate Accounts

The ITS-II Digital Equipment Corporation ALPHA 8200s, along with theirrespective 300 gigabyte RAID 5 disk arrays have a virtually unlimitedcapacity for storage of inmate accounts. Each inmate account takesapproximately 1,000 bytes of information for storage. The initialconfiguration of the Oracle RDBMS will be established with an inmateaccount capacity of approximately 300,000. This may be increased ordecreased as system storage capacity needs change over time.

The online Archive RDBMS is initially configured for storage ofapproximately 2,000,000 individual inmate accounts.

Each FMU supports 20,000 inmate accounts.

B. Call Records

The Main Server Oracle RDBMS will be initially configured to support thestorage of approximately 300,000,000 call records. Each call recordconsumes approximately 150 bytes of disk space. This may be increased ordecreased as system storage capacity needs change over time.

The online Archive RDBMS is initially configured for storage ofapproximately 2,000,000,000 individual call records.

Each FMU supports a backup call record storage capacity of approximately333,000 individual call records.

C. Simultaneous Users (Administrative, Not Telephone)

The maximum number of simultaneous users the ITS-II system supportsnation-wide is determined by a number of factors. The first factor isthe number of workstations connected to the ITS-II network. The secondfactor is the processes the workstations are performing. The thirdfactor is the volume of data being transmitted over the WAN. An initialanalysis of the BOP's projected utilization of the system suggests thatthe ITS-II will support in excess of 1,500 simultaneous users. Thisanalysis assumed 600 workstations performing a variety of tasksincluding report generation, transaction activity, query generation,account creation, and Alert Recording System review. The silentmonitoring analysis assumed 900 workstations performing various aspectsof silent monitoring.

The maximum number of simultaneous users the ITS-II system supports at acorrectional facility is limited primarily by the 10 megabit/secondEthernet LAN. This LAN has significant excess capacity to handle up to20 total workstations and silent monitoring workstations. The LAN is notnormally used for silent monitoring, but when more than 8 silentmonitoring stations are required, a terminal concentrator can be addedto the LAN for additional silent monitoring workstations. Theintelligent hub supports up to 16 workstations. If additionalworkstations have to be added, another hub can be installed.

The FMU's router functionality supports up to 100 simultaneousworkstations.

D. Maximum Number of Workstations

The maximum number of workstations the ITS-II system supportsnation-wide is determined by a number of factors. The TCP/IPimplementation under DEC UNIX (A trademark of Digital EquipmentCorporation) will support a virtually unlimited number of workstationaccesses. The practical limit is measured in thousands of users. TheITS-II is designed to take advantage of distributed processing whereverpossible. Workstations take the majority of the load for the graphicaluser interface, the local application processing, post query sorting,report display, and ARS functions. The bulk of the processes are offloaded to the workstations. Access to the central servers only occurswhen absolutely necessary.

The second factor impacting the maximum number of workstations supportedis the bandwidth available over the 56 Kb dedicated point to pointcircuits. Considering the bandwidth requirements for a workstation, andthe silent monitoring application's requirements, and the projectedaverage BOP staff and call processing utilization of the WAN. Fifteentotal workstations and silent monitoring workstations per site can besupported over the current WAN design.

The maximum number of workstations the ITS-II system supports at acorrectional facility is limited primarily by the LAN. A 10 megabitEthernet LAN has been specified for each facility. This LAN hassignificant excess capacity to handle up to 20 total workstations andsilent monitoring workstations. The LAN is not normally used for silentmonitoring, but when more than 8 silent monitoring stations arerequired, a terminal concentrator can be added to the LAN for additionalsilent monitoring. The Intelligent Hub supports up to 16 workstations.If additional workstations are to be added, another hub can beinstalled.

E. Maximum Number of Silent Monitors

The maximum number of silent monitors that can be supported is afunction of two elements. Each silent monitor utilizes one of the spareFMU station ports. Each silent monitor utilizes a serial port on the FMUor a port on an additional terminal concentrator when more than 8 silentmonitors are installed at a site. Each FMU supports a total of 96stations. Multiple FMUs can be added at a site so there is notheoretical limit to the number of silent monitoring stations at a site.Terminal concentrators can also be added to the LAN to support multiplesilent monitoring workstations. The basic FMU is configured with 10serial ports: one is used for AIMS, the other for the dial backup modem.That leaves 8 spare ports for silent monitors. Silent monitors can alsobe configured to run on the LAN when their proximity to the LAN iswithin acceptable distance limits of 10baseT specifications.

The practical limit for silent monitoring is 15 silent monitors at asite.

F. Maximum Number of Silent Monitor Users

The ITS-II silent monitoring system utilizes the Time Division MultiplexData Bus of the FMU for silent monitoring. As a result, no additionalload is placed on the FMU for silent monitoring. The phone conversationis already present on the TDM highway; the station interface port forthe silent monitor simply pulls off the conversation(s) of interest.Therefore the maximum number of silent monitor users is the same numberas the maximum number of silent monitors listed above.

G. Maximum Number of Nation-Wide Telephones

The maximum number of nationwide telephones is virtually unlimitedbecause an unlimited number of phones and FMUs can be added to theITS-II. The call processing central server load created by the inmatecalls, balance inquires, and transfers is minimal compared to theadministrative workstation and silent monitoring load. As a result, apractical limit of 8,000 phones per site is contemplated.

H. Maximum Number of Correctional Facility Phones

The maximum number of correctional facility phones is also virtuallyunlimited because theoretically an unlimited number of phones and FMUscan be added to the site. The first significant limitation encounteredwould be the bandwidth of the 56 Kb dedicated circuit(s). If the BOPwere to increase the number of 56 Kb circuits, this limitation would nolonger exist. The practical limit for the maximum number of telephonesat a correctional facility is 8,000 phones minus the number of phonesinstalled or anticipated to be installed at the BOP.

I. Maximum Number of Line Cards

The maximum number of line (station) cards that can be installed in anFMU is 16. Each station card supports 6 inmate stations, providing atotal of 96 stations per FMU. Since FMUs can be connected together,there is no real limit to the number of station cards at a site.

J. Maximum Number of Central Office Cards

Each FMU has 16 slots that can be used for analog station and/or analogcentral office cards. The analog central office card supports 6circuits. The analog cards support up to 6 ground start and/or loopstart circuits per card. The practical limit for central office circuitsis 48 per FMU. Since multiple FMUs can be supported, there is no reallimit.

Each FMU also contains 3 slots for dual T1 cards. A total of 6 T1s canbe supported on each FMU. Since FMUs can be interconnected, notheoretical limit exists for the number of T1s that can be supported.The practical limit could be computed by taking the total maximum numberof inmates phones in the entire ITS-II system, subtracting the number ofexisting and planned installation of phones in the rest of the BOP, andthen dividing the result by 24 (number of DSOs per T1).

K. Maximum Number of Simultaneous Calls Nation-Wide

The maximum number of simultaneous calls nationwide is theoreticallyunlimited. The limiting factors are the bandwidth of the WAN and thesizing of the central servers. Since both factors are scalable, there isno theoretical limit. The practical limit is 7,200 simultaneous callsper site since the BOP has specified in the section entitled “TrunkGroup Availability”, above, that a 10% blocking factor is acceptable inthe provisioning of network connectivity.

The FMU has been designed to be non-blocking. The FMU has been designedwith DTMF detection capability for inmate out dating on every stationcircuit. FMU system resources have been designed to allow simultaneousout dating and call processing on all channels at once. The limit ofsimultaneous call processing on an individual FMU is 96 stations. Sincemultiple FMUs can be connected together the upper limit is equal to the7,200 calls minus the number of simultaneous calls in progress at allITS-II sites.

Hardware

The hardware for the ITS-II system is listed and described in detail inSection D of this specification.

Hardware-Documentation of Hardware Engineering

The specifications of all the major components comprising the preferredembodiment of the ITS-II system are listed in Section D of thisapplication. These specifications provide data describing eachcomponent's ability to adequately perform the requirements of theITS-II. However, the components described are merely exemplary and arenot intended to be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration ofall aspects of the invention. The scope of the invention shall bedefined solely by the claims below.

The architectural configuration of these components is also illustratedin Section D.

Hardware-Switching Equipment

The ITS-II switching equipment is integral to the FMU provided at eachsite. The CPU within the FMU does all trunk assignment, switching androtation, i.e., provides the capability of rotating a specific inmatetelephone to a different line so that a line outage does not reduce thenumber of inmate phones that are available. It also provides aninterface with the public telephone network and the FTS-2000/Post FTS2000 network.

All of the ITS-II switching equipment provided by the FMU is integratedwith all other ITS-II components, including telephone set equipment, IVRequipment, CTI equipment and call monitoring equipment. The design andperformance characteristics of the FMU have been carefully integratedinto the overall ITS-II architecture.

Software-Personnel Information

The ITS-II software is a combination of industry software products whichinclude ORACLE RDBMS, Digital UNIX (a trademark of Digital EquipmentCorporation), Hewlett-Packard OPENVIEW (a trademark of Hewlett-Packard),and Microsoft Windows (a trademark of Microsoft Corp.). The inventor isproviding the call processing software, the ITS-II graphical userinterface, the ITS-II database, and some components of the centraldatabase management system software. The inventor is also managing theintegration of the above-mentioned commercial software into the overallITS-II.

Software Features

The ITS-II graphical user interface includes two help facilities. Whenhelp mode is on, and the user clicks the mouse on a data entry field,context-sensitive help provides a brief explanation of the field alongwith instructions for filling in the field. Tool tips are also providedto identify the functions of the ITS-II toolbar.

The ITS-II Reference Help accessed from the Help menu provides onlineend-user documentation of the ITS-II graphical user interface.

The print screen button on the toolbar provides a printout of thedisplayed window. The Print dialog box lets the user specify printer onwhich the hard copy is to be printed. Displays that require scrolling toview all of the data can be locked so that information does not scrolloff the window. All displayed reports can be scrolled using the scrollbar or the down arrow keys. In addition to the page up and page downkeys, paging buttons is provided for moving between pages.

The Report Generation window includes a button for canceling reportsthat are in the print queue or are still in progress.

The ITS-II is a Microsoft Windows graphical user interface. It employsthe full range of features and functions available to Windowsapplications, such as menu-based command structures, multiple windowdisplay, scroll bars, tool bars, command buttons, and context-sensitivehelp. Function keys, where used, have the same meaning throughout theITS-II graphical user interface.

The ITS-II graphical user interface supports multiple display windows.For example, two Inmate Information windows can be displayed at the sametime (one overlapping the other), each showing information for adifferent inmate.

The ITS-II graphical user interface supports Point and Click technology.All menus, windows, data fields, buttons, and tool bars can be selectedfor data entry or execution by moving the cursor over the object andclicking the mouse button.

In addition to moving the cursor and clicking the mouse button, the Tabkey can be used to move between fields on a window.

The Escape key can be used to escape from all ITS-II dialog boxes beforea command (such as commit or print) has been launched. Database changeswill be rolled back, and print jobs will be canceled without any adverseeffect on the system.

The inventor has developed special purpose tools, programs andprocedures to allow implementation of software changes and updates atindividual sites without affecting all other sites.

This process is accomplished with a number of different methodologies.The specific procedure and tools utilized depend on the nature of thesoftware update. If the software update involves changes to the DatabaseSchema, a new Database instance is created and run for the period of thetest. If the software update only affects call processing software, aspecial test mode is started that enables an entire Facility ManagementUnit (FMU) or a portion of the FMU to run the new software. If thesoftware update only affects the Client workstation or silent monitoringworkstation then a specific workstation or workstations can be set up torun the new software. If the software update involves a combination ofthe above then a combination of the procedures described above areutilized.

The inventor also has a test bed platform that utilizes the samesoftware that is running on the Central Server systems. Thus, extensivetests may be run on in-house systems rather than live systems prior toimplementation at the sites.

Operating System Software

The ITS-II software primarily uses off-the-shelf, industry-standardsoftware whenever possible. The ITS-II operating systems are all UNIX orWindows; the network is built out of Ethernet and standard data circuitsand the network protocols are based on TCP/IP. The software is writtenin C, and is platform-independent.

The servers and Facility Management Units (FMU) have been designed withspare processing capacity, and can easily run additional applications.Their multi-process architecture has been carefully assessed to insurethat the applications will not interfere with each other.

The server software runs on both Intel and Digital ALPHA processors, andhas been designed to minimize problems that might occur when porting toother processor architectures. The server software is built on POSIXstandards to minimize problems that might occur from changing thesoftware environment.

Operating System Software-Time of Day and Date Changes

The ITS-II maintains consistent and accurate time and datestamping—consistent nationwide for all ITS-II sites—through a multitudeof protocols and synchronization methodologies described in the nextthree paragraphs. These collections of programs assure consistentnationwide accurate time for all ITS-II sites and the Central OperationsFacilities.

The ITS-II uses the Network Time Protocol (NTP), which is a widelydeployed Internet protocol, to distribute the current time to theservers, FMUs and workstations. The primary time reference is a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receiver at the Central Operation Facility,which provides Universal Time to sub-millisecond accuracy. The status ofthe GPS receiver will be monitored with the network monitoring system,and should it fail, the free-running clock in the primary server willautomatically take over as the system time reference.

The servers, FMUs, workstations, and silent monitors continually use NTPto make sub-second resolution adjustments to their system clocks to keeptheir time accurate. This is important because the FMU clocks are usedto establish time-of-day discount periods for collect calls. Theworkstations use NTP to set their system time upon booting, and can beexpected to say within a few seconds of true time.

The servers and FMUs use the standard UNIX package “tz” for timeservices. This package fully and automatically handles leap years andtime changes due to daylight savings time. The daylight savings timerules are held in time zone files, which can be easily updated whenthere are statutory changes, and which cover the time rules for allUnited States locations, including those that do not observe daylightsavings time.

The workstations handle time changes internally. The Windows NToperating system manages the daylight savings time rules. When theworkstation is initially configured the Date/Time control panel isentered and the current time and time zone are set. The Date/TimeProperties window has a check box that if enabled will automaticallyadjust for local time changes. For locations such as Phoenix, Ariz. thatdo not honor the time change rules, the check box would not be enabled.

Time of day and date changes can be accomplished without causinginterruption to system operations. Accurate time is so very critical toa call processing application doing billing that the ITS-II takesextensive precautions (via the NTP protocol) to prevent the need to makea time or date change while the system is in operation. The ITS-IIutilizes the following strategy to prevent billing errors if a timechange is made while calls are in progress: The most critical issue isto prevent the change from affecting the duration of a call record. Whena call record is created, the ITS-II captures the current system time asthe end time, then uses time offsets to compute the start time andanswer time. Thus, all of the time fields of a call record will becorrect with respect to the new system time, and the duration will beaccurate.

The other system components have simpler constraints, but are alsodesigned to work properly after a system time or date change.

The switching control software will reside in the FMU. Many details ofswitching may be controlled by entries in the Central OperationsFacility database or by configuration files. For example, it is a simplematter to configure different out-dialing patterns for various subsetsof local exchanges in order to comply with dialing conventions at theLEC. Changes to these values do not interfere with calls in progress,and take effect for all calls initiated after the change is made.

When a completely new requirement appears, the FMU software will bemodified, tested, then downloaded by maintenance personnel to the sitesover the WAN. In most cases, the new software is installed in such a waythat it does not interfere with calls in progress, and will apply to allcalls initiated after the software is installed. In rare cases, it maybe necessary to schedule an hour of downtime to install new software.

The switching software is designed so that sites can be upgradedindividually. This allows for single-site beta testing of new software,and allows for an orderly upgrade process. The degree of difficulty isrelated to the extent of the changes.

Where practical, the trunks connected to the ITS-II will be configuredat the carrier to block incoming calls. However, in case incoming callsare delivered anyway, the FMU has safeguards to prevent connecting anincoming call to an ITS-II telephone. For T-1 and ground start trunks,the FMU uses glare-free trunk seizure protocols, thus preventing anincoming call from being inadvertently answered when starting the outdial portion of a call. For loop start trunks, the FMU takes the trunkout of service whenever ring voltage is present, and it automaticallyaborts the out dial attempt if no dial tone is detected.

The switching software is fully compatible and functions efficientlywith these entities:

*carrier services: see the following paragraph.

*ITS-II computer software and computer-telephony function: The switchingsoftware and the software associated with other ITS-II functions (forexample, the database and the user interface) have been developed inparallel by one engineering organization, with interfaces tailored tomeet completely the needs of each component.*automated messages function: The switching software, which runs on theFMU, is in direct control of the telephony hardware. Thus, it is able toplay messages when necessary with accurate timing.

The FMU has interfaces to T-1 digital trunks, and to ground start andloop start analog trunks. The trunk protocols are configurable forsimple seizures or wink start, and digits may be out dialed with DTMF orMF tones, or with rotary pulses. The FMU has been designed to supportPrimary Rate ISDN as well. This feature allows the BOP to take advantageof advanced network services as the United States Telephone system isenhanced.

The ITS-II software contains lists of local exchanges for each site,along with a list of all international office codes in the NANP. Thisinformation, along with the dialed number, is examined by the FMU at thestart of a call to choose the appropriate outgoing trunk.

After an inmate has dialed a call, the FMU performs the full range ofvalidity checks outlined in this specification. For example, the accountnumber is verified, the balance is checked, the allow list is enforced,the current time is checked against the schedules, etc. If all of thesechecks are passed, the switching software computes the maximum allowedtalk time based on the balance and other factors, and finally out dialsthe call. If the maximum time elapses, then the call is automaticallycut off.

The status of the call, including the declining balance, may be viewedin real-time using the workstation or monitoring station interface. Atthe conclusion of the call, a call record is stored in the centraldatabase. The new balance is immediately available for any report.

The inmate may dial a special phone number if they have been grantedaccess to the feature, along with a valid PIN to hear a recordingstating the balance and the charges for the last call. The call flowchart section shows the details of this feature.

The switching software and the computer-telephony application have beendesigned together, and the protocol has been tailored specifically fortheir use. Therefore, no protocol conversions are necessary.

The mechanism connecting the switching software to thecomputer-telephony application is WAN based on TCP/IP and protected withDES encryption.

Traffic measurement reports will be derived from the call recorddatabase at the central server. The ITS-II stores call records for allattempts, even when all trunks are busy, so all of the data needed foraccurate traffic measurement is available.

Standard traffic measurement information is available on-line and as aprinted report. This report, entitled “Percentage Grade of BlockingReport” is described in the “Specific Reports” section above.

Standard telephone call accounting information is available on-line andas printed reports. Specific reports are described in the “SpecificReports” section above.

Correctional Facility Requirements-Quantity of Station Sets

The system contains sufficient station sets to provide a nation-wideaverage of 1 station set for every 20 inmates. Some correctionalfacilities may require more or less than the nation wide average.

Correctional Facility Requirements-Station Set Features

The ITS-II uses Quadrum Telecommunications, Inc. (QTI) model 6Q2telephones (a trademark of QTI). These telephones:

-   -   are wall mounted,    -   are made of heavy gauge steel case (14 GA),    -   include a heavy duty metal keypad (armor style with ⅛ inch        vandal resistant plate and metal keys,    -   include a bonded handset which is connected to common ground        path on the case, handset cord, terminal strip, and backplate.        The external ground is connected to the terminal strip mounted        on the backplate of the telephone.    -   are steel reinforced with heavy gauge steel backplates (14 GA)        and multiple attaching screw mounting holes integrated into the        design. The handset mounting base is welded into the telephone        case. The case is a single piece of stamped steel for extra        reinforcement.    -   include a metal wrapped cord. The cord is stainless steel        wrapped with internal lanyard cable designed to withstand eight        hundred (800) pounds of pull force.

All of the telephones that will be installed as part of the ITS-IIsystem are dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) compatible.

The 6Q2 Inmate Station is not programmable and is what is known in theindustry as a “dumb” telephone.

The 6Q2 Inmate Station is not capable of being used to program anyfeature of the ITS-II system.

The 6Q2 Inmate Station does not have card reader capabilities. Theinmate identifies herself by entering a BOP determined accessidentification number into the telephone when prompted for this numberby the ITS-II system.

Each telephone at a correctional institution is provided with a uniquenumber for identification purposes. This number is imprinted on eachtelephone in such a way as to be readily visible so that the BOP staffcan report any problems with the telephone. When a telephone isreplaced, or in the case where new telephones are installed at the site,the telephones will be renumbered by maintenance personnel. Informationabout any new telephones will also be added to the configurationmanagement system and the appropriate records will be updated to reflectthe addition.

In addition to the stated requirements, the ITS-II systems provides anoption that allows BOP staff or ITS-II maintenance technicians todetermine the telephone number of a specific phone. Once this option isenabled at an ITS-II workstation, any inmate telephone will announce itsown telephone number after a specific sequence of digits is entered intothe telephone keypad. This allow the BOP staff or a technician todetermine the telephone number of a unit even after the unit has beendefaced.

The 6Q2 Inmate Station includes a confidencer function. This feature isprovided in the electronics of the telephones and may be adjusted on thetelephone itself.

The 6Q2 Inmate Station includes a volume control, which can be adjustedby the inmate.

The ITS-II workstations allow the BOP staff access to the ITS-II systemover the local site network to perform administrative functions. Referto Section D for a description of the workstation hardware platform.

Each ITS-II workstation has a 15 inch color monitor, a standard-extendedkeyboard, a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive, a mouse, a dot matrix printer,and an optional sound card. The 3.5 inch disk drive is be used toperform electronic transfer of data to and from removable media.

All of the ITS-II workstations operate independently of each other. Eachworkstation is independently connected through an intelligent hub to thesite FMU, which provides the network connection through the wide areanetwork, to the central server sites. Each workstation operatesindependently from all other ITS-II workstations.

Call Monitoring

The call monitoring function of the ITS-II has been designed as anintegral part of the overall system. The Call Monitoring program thatruns on the monitoring stations will provide on-screen information forevery active phone line assigned to that monitoring station, as well asthe ability to monitor audibly any selected inmate calls.

Each call monitoring station's display indicates the activity of everyphone in use assigned to the user logged in to that monitoring station.This display includes the number of active lines plus each telephoneidentification, recording channel, calling number, city, call duration,cost, and the inmate's register number and name.

The FMU can support well over ten monitoring stations at eachcorrectional facility. Each monitoring station will be capable ofmonitoring any telephone in operation at that facility.

Call monitoring capability is an integral part of the ITS-II andrequires no additional wiring to the ITS-II for the addition of stationsets.

Each monitoring station requires local power, an analog phone connectionto the FMU plus a data connection to the FMU via two category-3 cablepairs. No additional wiring is required beyond this FMU connection.

The call monitoring stations are fully self contained compact multimedialaptop computers. The model chosen is an HP2000 notebook which containsa sound card with headphones and built-in speakers to provide the BOPwith a totally self contained Silent Monitoring station.

Any inmate call in progress can be audibly monitored via, at the user'soption, built-in speakers or headphones on the silent monitoringstations. The user may select for audible monitoring any active phone onthe line monitor display.

Audible monitoring will be accomplished by tapping into the FMU, inwhich the audio signal is present in digital form. This will not impactthe voice path for the inmate's call. The transmit side of the digitalconnection is completely isolated from the receive side.

The audio sampling will be accomplished digitally within the FMU and sowill not affect voice signal quality or voice transmission levels orcause external background interference. Therefore, it will beundetectable to either party in the call.

A BOP staff member can select using the cursor any active phone line ona monitoring station's on-screen display and thereby can easily accessthe voice path for that call.

Silent monitoring station on-screen displays show in real time everyactive phone line assigned to that monitoring station. Calls placed byinmates to alerted numbers and/or from alerted accounts will cause abeeping alarm on the monitoring station to notify the BOP staff of thecall in progress, and the phone line involved will be highlighted on themonitoring station's display.

The FMU displays the status of a call less than one second after thefirst possible detection of a call in process by the remote telephoneequipment.

The display screen shows the number of active lines. Even if a new calldoes not fit on the screen, the active line counter on the screen willbe incremented showing there is an additional call and the alert beeperwill be activated immediately if necessary.

The main call monitoring display shows a one line summary for each callin progress. This summary includes the register number, name of inmate,telephone number called, identification of telephone, duration of call,recorder channel number, and cost.

The user may select a call using the cursor or mouse, then request adetail screen. In addition to the information above, this screen alsodisplays the location of the telephone, the start time of the call, anindication of when the call will be terminated and why (e.g. system timelimit or available balance), the cost per minute for the call, and thereal-time account balance.

If the alternate feature, Video Display of Inmate described in thesection entitled “Miscellaneous Features”, below, is enabled, thedetails screen will also display the inmate's picture.

Call Monitoring-Equipment Requirements

The call monitoring stations are fully self contained compact multimedialaptop computers. The model chosen is an HP2000 notebook which containsa sound card with headphones and built-in speakers to provide the BOPwith a totally self contained Silent Monitoring station. No additionalequipment such as external speakers or detached keyboard or mouse isrequired.

The call monitoring stations will be connected to the FMUs viacategory-3 cable using RS232 protocol and short-haul modems asnecessary. This will allow operation of monitoring stations at distancesgreater than two miles from the station set being monitored. Monitoringstations that are within the 10Baset distance limitations of the LANwill utilize the LAN for connectivity.

The ITS-II is designed to support well over ten monitoring stations at acorrectional facility. The call monitoring stations will be compactmultimedia laptop computers with headphones as well as built-inspeakers.

Each call monitoring system will be connected to the FMU and will beable to monitor any telephone in operation at the correctional facilityserved by that FMU.

BOP Central Office Requirements

An ITS-II workstation is located at the BOP Central Office to overseeadministrative system wide operations and service.

The ITS-II provides a group of features that enables the Central Officestaff to operate the workstation as though it were located at a specificsite of their choosing. The ITS-II also allows the BOP staff topre-create groups of sites; for example, the Central Office staff couldcreate a group of sites for a specific geographic region, by institutionmission or type of institution, by time zone, or by any other groupingcategory. These groups are then accessible through a number of differentgraphical user interface windows. Groups are created through theFacilities tab on the System Information maintenance window. Thesegroups can be used in queries and reports as well.

For ad hoc reports and queries, and ITS-II administrative operations,the system allows the BOP Central Office staff to select whatever siteor sites they want during the facility entry part of the window they areworking on. If the BOP staff wanted to create a report of inmates whohad been transferred during the last month from institutions on the WestCoast, they would enter the report generation screen, select the siteson the West Coast, define the time frame for the previous month, andchoose the transferred flag. This would enable the staff member togenerate a multi-site report. The same mechanism for facility selectionapplies to the Inmate Information window.

The ITS-II allows the BOP to compile data on inmate use of the system,reconcile financial activities, facilitate training of BOP staff onITS-II operation and capabilities, and perform system tests. The CentralOffice administrative workstation(s) provides the capability for siteselection by a single site, a group of sites, a bunch of groups ofsites, or all sites.

The ITS-II provides the BOP Central Office staff with the ability toremotely call into the system. The remote access to the ITS-II will beconducted through PC laptops or standard PCS. The BOP staff laptops orPCS have to run Windows NT, Windows 95 or a later compatible version ofthe Windows environment to take full advantage of all ITS-II graphicaluser interface features. The workstations contain all the necessaryITS-II client software required for remote access. This includes theITS-II application software, the encryption software, and remote dial-insoftware. Remote access will be supported through the PPP communicationsprotocol. The ITS-II dial-in modems support 56 Kbs data transmission.

In addition, the ITS-II can limit BOP remote staff access to dial-inaccess via FTS-2000 credit card access only. This limited access willincrease access security to the system. A dial-back only service canalso be incorporated, to achieve a higher level of remote accesssecurity.

The Oracle RDBMS is designed to support specialized partitioning of thedata bases. Partitioning of the BOP Central Office system and the BOPMSTC system from the rest of the sites is supported through the OracleRDBMS partitioning system. The BOP Central Office system and the BOPMSTC system can be grouped together as though they were two independentfacilities in a fictitious Bureau Wide System. Inmate transfers,monetary transfers, call records and other ITS-II relevant transactionsand activities can be performed as though they were two actual sites.However, data will be totally separate from actual BOP sites.

Testing, report generation, account reconciliation, query generation,and virtually all other activities can be performed on the twofictitious sites.

The ITS-II interfaces with the BOP Central Office Windows 95 operatingenvironment and workstations.

The ITS-II supports the BOP's requirement for 23 workstations at the BOPCentral Office.

The ITS-II provides the BOP Central Office staff access to the ITS-IIE-mail system. Central Office PCS, as well as ITS-II workstations,operate with the ITS-II E-mail system. The ITS-II E-mail system provideseach workstation with the capability to correspond with individualcorrectional facility staff, BOP defined user groups, appropriate useraccess levels and specific terminals. The E-mail system also supportselectronic notification when mail arrives for the workstation. TheITS-II system installed at the BOP Central Office facility contains thesame hardware, software and services installed at a typical BOPcorrectional facility. Local lines for collect and debit calls areinstalled as well as a T1 to the PCOF network.

Management and Specialty Training Center

A complete system that is comparable to an actual BOP facility isinstalled at the MSTC. This system is to be used for BOP staff trainingonly.

The MSTC location will be configured to support 35 workstations. TheMSTC is configured with the standard ITS-II client application softwarerunning at the correctional facilities.

The ITS-II can configured to accept the same keystrokes for the samefunctions from all workstations simultaneously. The ITS-II will alsosupport simultaneous printing by all PCs. The ITS-II client applicationutilizes the Windows 95 and/or Windows NT operating environment.

The ITS-II system is designed to support multiple simultaneous logons ofthe same user types. The ITS-II will also allow multiple logons of thesame user name and password, where this option is selected in the Oracleprofile.

The MSTC location has a function that will completely refresh the ITS-IIMSTC database and set it back to a state for new classes.

The ITS-II system installed at the BOP MSTC facility contains the samehardware, software and services installed at a typical BOP correctionalfacility. Local lines for collect and debit calls are installed as wellas a T1 to a common telephone carrier's network. Similarly, FTS-2000 T1facility and appropriate number of WAN circuits are also installed.

The Oracle RDBMS is designed to support specialized partitioning of thedatabase. Partitioning of the BOP Central Office system and the BOP MSTCsystem from the rest of the sites is supported through the Oracle RDBMSpartitioning system. The BOP Central Office system and the BOP MSTCsystem can be grouped together as though they were two independentfacilities in a fictitious Bureau-wide System. Inmate transfers,monetary transfers, call records and other ITS-II relevant transactionsand activities can be performed as though they were two actual sites;however, data will be totally separate from actual: BOP sites. Training,report generation, account reconciliation, query generation, andvirtually all other activities can be performed on the two fictitioussites.

Central Operations Facility (COF)

The ITS-II includes two Central Operations Facilities (COF). Each COFwill contain servers and central database for the operation of theITS-II system. Central inmate and call record data will be stored ateach COF. Section D of the specification provides additional detail onthe equipment at the primary and backup facilities.

Maintenance Requirements

The ITS-II system is designed in such a way as to require no on-sitesupport under normal operating conditions after the initialinstallation. This is accomplished through the use of our hardware andnetwork design which eliminates single point of failure components andthrough the availability of our remote diagnostic and tuningcapabilities. For a more detailed discussion of the ITS-II program tomaximize up-time, please refer to the section entitled “MiscellaneousFeatures”, below.

Onsite Administrator

The ITS-II System has been designed to not require an on-siteadministrator for any reason. The only access to the correctionalfacilities that will be necessary will be that access needed to repairor upgrade existing services and equipment. Because the ITS-II system isdesigned to eliminate single point of failure components and includesremote diagnostic and tuning capabilities, the need for on-site repairof services is minimized.

In general, the ITS-II System is designed with state-of-the-art,solid-state electronic components that do not require routine orpreventative maintenance.

The only preventive maintenance that will be required will be thereplacement of batteries in the FMU and the replacement of fan filtersin the FMU. The batteries are expected to require replacement at everysite every four years.

System analysis

The ITS-II incorporates a large number of remote and local diagnostictools:

-   -   to monitor telephone line connectivity at the sites,    -   to monitor the ambient temperature of the systems,    -   to monitor the status of the power supply and UPS battery        condition,    -   to do multiple independent computation of inmate balances to        detect call processing problems,    -   to use Intelligent Hub technology to monitor network        characteristics and verify connectivity to the individual site        work stations, to monitor the inmate telephone sets,    -   to verify communication paths for all internal cross-points in        the FMU, etc.

Technicians also have access to event log files on the servers and onthe FMUs, allowing them to trace a problem to the point at which itfirst started to occur. This ability provides helpful information thatis used to shorten the required corrective action.

The ITS-II is able to remotely turn on a LED display light on a failedboard so that, when a technician arrives at the site, the failed boardcan quickly and accurately be replaced.

Spare Parts

Because the ITS-II system is designed with state-of-the-art, solid-stateelectronic components that are highly reliable, and further, because thehardware design provides redundant components to eliminate single pointof failure elements, it is anticipated that the need for spare partswill be minimal. Nevertheless, maintenance personnel have strategicallylocated spare components available in order to provide the BOP with theService Level ordered. Furthermore, when there are spare slots availablein the FMU rack, the space will be used to store spare boards so thatlocal technicians have parts immediately available at the site.

Maintenance Operations Control Center

A Maintenance Operations Control Center (“ITS-II MOCC”) providestechnical support and maintenance services for the ITS-II system. ThisITS-MOCC is the single focal point for all trouble reporting andresolution. It is equipped with (1) trained technicians, (2) access tothe ITS-II trouble tracking system to assist in monitoring and resolvingproblems, (3) all technical and operational documentation regarding theITS-II program, (4) direct access to the hardware and software engineerswho designed the ITS-II system, (5) access to locally contracted supporttechnicians, and (6) access to the computer and communications equipmentto be used to monitor the ITS-II systems at the correctional facilities.

The remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities of the ITS-II systemminimize the amount of monitoring needing to be done by the BOP staff bygiving the ITS-MOCC staff the tools to discover problems before they arereported by the correctional facilities.

This is accomplished by setting up automatic, periodic processes ofcommunications between the ITS-MOCC, the centralized servers, and thecorrectional institutions. These communication processes monitor variousaspects of the system and generate alarms when defined thresholds arereached. The various alarms generated by the monitoring tools aredelivered to the ITS-MOCC's technicians via alarm messages thatautomatically appear on monitoring screens and a via automatic pagesthat are sent directly to the technicians, no matter where they arelocated at the moment.

These tools allow the ITS-MOCC technicians to monitor various memory,disk space, and database conditions on the central servers, remoteworkstations, and the call handling process on the FMU at each of thecorrectional facilities. The ITS-II is capable of remotely monitoringwhether each individual inmate telephone is physically connected to thesystem and is capable of simulating an individual inmate telephone goingoff hook in order to remotely monitor: the network. Finally, the networkmanagement tool monitors the communications links and equipment, systemwide, creating an alarm fault when there is a problem or degradation inservice. These tools can also be tuned in various ways to differentlevels to allow the ITS-MOCC technicians to monitor specific conditionsmore or less closely, as issues require.

The PCOF will also serve as a secondary (backup) ITS-MOCC, in the eventthat the primary ITS-MOCC becomes unavailable due to a disaster of somekind.

General Requirements-Quality Assurance

The ITS-II consists of primarily commercially manufactured hardware andsoftware that has been integrated with special manufactured software andhardware (the FMU). Because the resulting system operates over atelecommunications network, the ITS-II also integrates networkcomponents such as routers and circuits.

The ITS-II is designed to run on or in conjunction with certaincommercial off the shelf (COTS) products that are designed,manufactured, and produced by major computer and telecommunicationsmanufacturers. For example, the central database servers are model 8200ALPHA servers manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation. The COTSproducts used in the design of the ITS-II system are chosen for theirhigh quality and reliability.

Because COTS products are widely sold and used throughout the industry,there is a large audience of customers that report problems back to themanufacturer. In all cases these manufacturers put their productsthrough a continuous process of correcting problems that are reportedand releasing upgrades to correct problems, improve performance, and addfunctionality as demanded by the marketplace.

C.6.5 Configuration Management

A. Software Configuration Information:

All hardware will be inventoried prior to its installation anywhere inthe ITS-II system. For each major “unit” of hardware, such as a FMU, aserver, a work station, etc., an “as built” bill of materials will becreated at the level at which the item will be maintained. That is, ifthe unit will be maintained at the board level, all boards will beinventoried and this information will be maintained in the configurationdatabase.

All major sub-components of the FMUs contain electronic serial numbersfor use in remotely tracking board level FMU components. The componentstracked include station cards, CO cards, T1 cards, CPU cards, DSPresource cards. PC workstations and silent monitoring workstations canalso be remotely tracked.

B. Software Configuration Information:

The ITS-II software is a large body of software code that is built fromindividual programs and data files, for example, the rate center files.The inventor uses a special application called CVS (Concurrent VersionSystem) to maintain an audit trail of all changes and updates to theseindividual programs and data files. As each software engineer makesupgrades to a software module the CVS system is used to manage theupgrades so that the most recent copy can be identified or a decisioncan be made to go back to a previous version.

The configuration information maintained for each program and file willat a minimum include the following information: the name of the file, acopy of the file, the version number, the date of this version, and thechanges that were applied to this file to create this version from thelast version of the program or file.

C. Firmware Configuration Information:

Because firmware is specially programmed hardware, the configurationinformation maintained regarding ITS-II firmware will include the sameinformation as maintained for both hardware and software, as describedpreviously in paragraphs A and B. The revision information for all FMUfirmware can be verified remotely.

D. Circuit Configuration Information:

The configuration management system will contain all relevant networkconfiguration information. The information maintained includes a hostname to IP address cross reference table, a cross reference table foreach site that details the location within the institution of eachinmate telephone, how that telephone circuit is cross-connected to theFMU and a recording circuit. For the workstations and tower monitoringdevices, there will be a correlation chart that records to which port inthe hub each is connected. For the wide are network, all circuitidentifiers will be maintained for all circuits from the sites to theprimary and remote central ITS-II servers, as well as the circuitbetween the two servers.

The appropriate configuration management data will be updated when everthe hardware, software, firmware or circuit information changes. The BOPwill be notified of all changes made to the configuration of the ITS-IIsystem.

The ITS-II system includes an automated auditing function. This auditfunction runs periodically to verify that the configuration informationstored in the Configuration Management System is consistent with what isin the field. Any deviation detected during the automated auditingprocess, is logged, investigated, and resolved by the personneloverseeing the configuration management of the systems.

Year 2000 Compatibility

Before selection for incorporation into the ITS-II system, the selectedsoftware and hardware components which comprise the ITS-II have beencarefully evaluated for year 2000 compatibility. The evaluation includedthree major requirements for hardware/software combination: (1) theability to generate, retain, and manipulate data generated in multiplegeographic time zones by the system prior to the year 2000; (2) theability to assign dates and times within multiple geographic time zonesto data generated by the ITS-II after Jan. 1, 2000; and, (3) to be ableto uniformly combine and process data which has been generated beforeand after the year 2000 for billing, queries, and reports.

Miscellaneous Features

Miscellaneous Features—Maximum Uptime Management System (MUMS)

The inventor's design and support strategy and program called MUMS(Maximum Uptime Management System) influenced all aspects of the design.

Maximum system uptime is achieved by maximizing reliability andmaintainability. The MUMS approach strives to design the most reliablesystem possible using state-of-the-art technology. Generally, no matterhow reliable a system, parts can still fail. For that reason, the MUMSapproach also builds self-diagnostic capabilities into the design of itssystems. These features have been incorporated early in the ITS-IIdesign rather than waiting to add them later.

The MUMS approach, highlighted briefly below, encompasses all MUMSfactors contributing to system uptime. These include:

Hardware Design; Software Design; LAN Design; WAN Design; TelephoneNetwork Implementation; Trouble Tracking, Diagnostic and RepairProcedures and Methodologies; Spares Planning; and Technician Dispatch.

1. An overview of some of the major system components listed above isprovided below.

Hardware Design

The FMU (Facilities Management Unit), a Central Office-quality telephoneswitching system, is designed under the MUMS approach and with the BOP'srequirements in mind. The design for the FMU exceeds the designstandards for commercial PC and telephony systems, and incorporates thefollowing reliability elements, under MUMS:

-   -   Gas Tube-based telephone line interface protection (minimizes        detrimental effects of lightening).    -   PTC self-resetting fuses (avoids manual fuse replacement in the        event of surges).    -   Dual independent CPUs    -   Dual independent Hard Disks    -   Telephony Cards are provided in 6-line increments. Smaller size        line cards minimize the impact of a card failure.    -   Dual redundant power supplies.    -   Un-interruptible Power Supply (UPS) provides 2 hours battery        backup    -   Internal UPS used to filter AC power line transients (reduces        power surge problems)    -   The system runs on continually charged AC batteries, in the same        manner as a telephone company Central Office.    -   Integrated component design (reduces number of separate        components and separate failure points) For example, the FMU        integrates router technology which creates fewer separate parts        and failures and reduced number of FTS2000 WAN circuits and        related points of failure.    -   Error correcting memory to eliminate parity errors.        The design for the FMU incorporates the following        maintainability elements, under MUMS:    -   Hot swappable telephony and computer boards (avoids taking        system down to replace circuit boards).    -   Automatic monitoring of telephone line connectivity (reports to        central monitoring facility immediately).    -   System fan airflow measurements and alarm reporting to predict        high temperatures (high temperatures decrease product's life).    -   Power supply and battery condition monitoring and alarm        reporting (detects slow degradation).    -   Spare part storage within the FMU (avoids delays waiting for        replacement parts).        Software Design

The design and review of the ITS-II software and software architectureis also based on the MUMS philosophy and on the following two criticalrequirements:

-   -   1) No inmate data can ever be lost.    -   2) Two independent methods of calculating inmate balances are        necessary.        Some specific software reliability design features supporting        MUMS goals are summarized below:    -   Data storage reliability—Rather than simply using mirrored disks        and tape backups, identical inmate data is stored in 6        independent systems. This design assures that even in the event        of two simultaneous and unrelated failures, the system would        have multiple on-line and off-line storage. While this level of        redundancy may seem excessive, an analysis of past experience        concluded that under no circumstances could transactions be        lost, so this approach is warranted. These six systems are:    -   1. on the FMU (data stored for over 30 days)    -   2. Primary Server 1 (RAID protected, stored indefinitely)    -   3. Remote Secondary Server 2 (RAID protected, stored        indefinitely)    -   4. Three (3) DLT tape backup systems for the above servers        (stored indefinitely)        Multi-Independent Balance Computation System (MIBCS)—This design        has the ITS-II performing two entirely separate balance        computations for all inmate calls and transactions. This design        concept for MIBCS came from a NASA design where multiple        computers monitor identical tasks and if there is a difference        in their comparisons, an error condition is logged for        investigation. The MIBCS implementation in the ITS-II is as        follows:    -   1. The FMU performs a balance calculation for every call, using        internally stored data    -   2. The completed call record is stored in the Oracle RDBMS on        the servers.    -   3. A balance calculation is performed from data stored in the        server and compared against the FMU calculation done in step 1.    -   4. If the results are equal, the system continues to process        call records for the account.    -   5. If the results differ, then an error log entry is made for        investigation by technicians.

The MIBCS therefore provides an element of both reliability andmaintainability. It provides a critical “early warning” auditingfunction which will immediately identify (on the next call), anydiscrepancy in the inmate accounts. This MIBCS “early warning” willcatch any database level tampering with inmate account balances. This issimilar to the continuous auditing functions that exist in the bankingindustry.

LAN Design

Highly reliable LAN connectivity to the FMU is achieved by using 10BaseTEthernet connectivity rather than lower cost coax. This technology willprevent any workstation wiring faults from taking down the entire LAN.

For maintainability, the ITS-II Ethernet design incorporates Smart Hubtechnology to achieve the highest level of remote diagnosticcapabilities. The smart hubs also allow the ITS-II network managementsoftware to verify connectivity all the way to the individualworkstations and FPPOS server.

WAN Design

The ITS-II reliable Wide Area Network Design incorporates the MUMSphilosophy as highlighted by the following strategies:

-   -   The Primary Central Operations Facility is equipped with a bank        of 24 dial-up modems to provide backup dial-in capability for        the data circuits to each site.    -   If a FTS2000 dedicated data circuit fails for any reason, an        alternate backup dial-in circuit is available from a telephone        service provider.    -   A dedicated FTS2000 point-to-point data circuit from each BOP        site to both the primary and remote secondary Central Operations        Facility create a truly fault tolerant WAN.

These measures create the truly fault tolerant ITS-II WAN designnecessary to deliver the required ITS-II uptime performance.

The choice of HP OPENVIEW as the network management system, and smarthub technology will enable the controller to immediately pinpointproblems as well as perform data transmission analysis down to theindividual workstation level.

2. Trouble Tracking, Diagnostic and Repair Procedures and Methodologies

The application of the MUMS philosophy to the trouble tracking,diagnostic and repair procedures for the ITS-II system has resulted inseveral new concepts. These ideas can be categorized as proactive andreactive abilities.

The proactive approach focuses on improvements to detect problems beforethey occur and is based on a detailed analysis of years of troubletickets generated from current customers, including the BOP. Theseproactive tools improve our ability to monitor and report problems:

Proactive Monitoring:

-   -   Continuous fan airflow is monitored (as a predictor of remote        ambient temperatures) through the FMU at each site and an alarm        is sent to the ITS-MOCC when the danger threshold is reached.    -   AC input power to the FMU is monitored to allow The controller        to notify the correctional institution to a potential problem.    -   A speaker in the FMU provides warning announcements to personnel        in the ITS-II room when, for example, the AC power has been        removed from the FMU.    -   Circuitry in the telephony circuit boards instantly detect        telephone set or internal BOP wiring problems.    -   Automated auditing and reporting of each site's software and        hardware configuration is sent to the ITS-MOCC to verify that        the software and hardware at each site is at the appropriate        revision level.        Proactive Reporting:    -   A single monitoring and trouble tracking system is shared for        tracking manually and automatically opened trouble tickets. This        system is accessible by both organizations for all ITS-II        locations.    -   The ability to automatically open a trouble ticket incident        report if a system malfunction is detected by the automatic        network monitoring application, allows The controller to resolve        problems quickly. Often, problems can be corrected before they        become apparent to the correctional institution.

The reactive aspects of the MUMS strategy focuses on the process usedwhen a problem is first discovered. The ITS-II includes a Remote TroubleDiagnostic and Trouble Identification System in place for hardware,enabling a technician to remotely diagnose problems from the highestlevel in the system down to the level of the individual telephone. Theprocess works as follows:

-   -   1. A problem is automatically detected by the system.    -   2. An alarm is sent to the ITS-MOCC.    -   3. Further diagnosis pinpoints the source of the problem.    -   4. Problems that can be corrected remotely are handled        immediately.    -   5. If the problem cannot be repaired remotely, as is the case        with on-site hardware problems, a fault light on the remote FMU        is activated. This enables a field service repair technician to        immediately identify which module needs replacing without        additional diagnosis.    -   6. When the field technician reaches the site, the FMU panel is        opened and the card with the LED fault light activated is        replaced. The spare parts built into the FMU avoid delays in        waiting for replacement parts.

In most cases the fault can be located remotely to the board ortelephone level. This minimizes the amount of time the field technicianspends diagnosing the problem and calling for instructions andassistance, because the problem is diagnosed while the field servicerepair person is en route to the site.

Carrier Bypass Elimination Feature

Some carriers are currently offering bypass service to BOP inmates andtheir families. One company offering this service has run nationaladvertisements informing inmates and their families and friends of ameans to obtain less expensive phone rates than that offered by the BOP.This poses a problem to the BOP for ITS-II security as well as apotential loss in revenue.

The bypass works as follows. The carrier has the recipient of the inmatecall order phone service that is local to the institution where theinmate is incarcerated. The carrier then has the recipient order callforwarding on the new local line. The local line then gets forwarded tothe recipient's actual number. The inmate requests that the new localnumber be added to their allow list. Once the number is added, theinmate calls the local number, gets billed for a local call, and thecall gets forwarded over the carrier network instead of the BOP'sFTS2000 network. The called party pays for the transmission from thelocal number to their own phone. Current rates being offered are as lowas $0.09 a minute.

This bypass poses a significant threat to the BOP. As word spreadsthroughout the inmate population about this service, the entire BOPtelephone billing system is in jeopardy.

The ITS-II Solution is as follows:

The methodology described below will prevent this type of callforwarding, and is the subject of copending application Ser. No.08/726,217, filed Oct. 4, 1996, entitled COMPUTER-BASED METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING, MONITORING, RECORDING, AND REPORTINGTELEPHONE ACCESS.

The first time a call is made to this local number and the call isanswered, an automated messaging system provides the called party with aPIN and an 800 number to call to verify that the called party wants toreceive calls from this inmate. When the called party dials the 800number their phone number is electronically forwarded to the 800 number.The calling party is asked to enter their phone number and the PIN. Allthree numbers are checked for consistency. If the PIN, electronicallytransmitted number, and the manually entered number don't match thecalling party is informed of the mismatch and asked to try again. If thecalling party fails to enter the number combination three times in arow, they are informed of the failure and a log is made in the ITS-II ofthe failed attempt. The inmate is informed of this failure the next timethey attempt to call this number.

The Bypass feature can be enabled and disabled through the ITS-IIgraphical user interface. Automated reporting and real time notificationof this feature can also be enabled or disabled through the ITS-IIgraphical user interface.

Alert Recording System (ARS)

The ITS-II includes an integrated Alert Recording System which theinventor estimates can save the Bureau an estimated several thousand manhours a year of loading and listening to tapes. The Facility ManagementUnit (FMU) contains in excess of 400 hours of digital voice recordingcapability. The FMU also features a digital recording buffer that iscontinuously updated during the call. This buffer always contains thelast 10 seconds of every call as the call is in progress.

When certain fraud detection events occur such as extra dialed digitdetection, 3-way call detection, and/or suspicious dialing, the systemcan begin recording the last 10 seconds in the buffer and the rest ofthe call from the point of the event detection. The conversation of thiscall is stored digitally on the internal hard drives of the system. BOPstaff who want to listen to these calls simply bring up the ARSgraphical user interface, select the ARS call, and can playback the callthrough their workstation. Both a head set for private listening and abuilt in speaker in the workstation for listening are provided. ARS canbe configured to support remote operation as well. If the BOP wants tocentrally or remotely review ARS calls, they would simply perform thesame operations as a user at a site.

ARS can also be configured to record all alert calls as well. ARSreporting, real time notification and enabling or disabling by featurecan be controlled through the ITS-II graphical user interface.

ARS features an automatic deletion feature to make room for the newcalls being recorded. The oldest calls are automatically deleted fromthe system. The ARS system has an adjustable storage allocation size forthe storage of alert calls and for the first and last 10 seconds ofevery call feature. If the BOP wants to record more of one type of callversus another type the adjustable storage allocation size can be setappropriately.

ARS will record up to 10 simultaneous conversations per FMU.

Prisoner Video Image Integration into ITS-II Files

(Digital Image Capture and Display of Inmates)

In addition to the BOP stated requirements, the ITS-II has thecapability of displaying previously captured digital images. Thisfeature assists in verification of the inmate.

If the BOP has electronic systems in place that are already capturingdigital pictures of inmates, the BOP could electronically transfer thoseimages to the ITS-II along with the inmate register number. As analternative, a one digital camera, tripod, a workstation equipped with adigital image download card, and other necessary hardware and softwarecould be provided to capture and load the image into the ITS-II.

Once the image is captured by the ITS-II, it will be available fordisplay in the Calls In Progress Display and several ITS-II InmateInformation screens, as determined by the BOP.

GOTU™

GOTU™ is an integrated feature of the ITS-II. Its purpose is to enable aparty who has been called and harassed by a prison inmate to preventthat inmate from calling them a subsequent time without requiring themanual intervention of corrections officers or administrative staff.

Conceptually, there are two events which must take place for thisfeature to work: first, the general public (called party) must beinformed that the capability exists and must be provided with theknowledge of how to use the capability. Secondly, when called by aninmate, the party must perform the action of entering the requireddigits into their telephone keypad to the ITS-II not to allow a call tothat number to be completed again.

Once the called party enters the digits (GOTU™ or 4688, or any otherpredetermined digits) into their telephone, the ITS-II will associatethe party's number with the pre-approved phone number and specificinmate telephone account from which the call originated.

With the account and pre-approved phone number identified, the systemwill disable (block) the (pre-approved) number from being called againfrom within that inmate's account. The called number may be thepre-approved number of the harassed party (wife, husband, friend, etc.).Or, the inmate may dial a pre-approved number and have the respondingparty forward the call to a second (not pre-approved) party whose numberis not listed in the inmate's account and harass the second party(described as three-way calling). In either case, ITS-II will block thepre-approved number to which, or through which the call was made fromreceiving further calls.

In addition to identifying and blocking the pre-approved number withinthe inmate's telephone account, the system will also label the (now)blocked number with a dated code that will indicate to investigativestaff that the number was blocked by the destination party's action.

Once the GOTU™ digits have been entered by the destination party, ITS-IIwill not permit the inmate from accessing the (blocked and labeled)pre-approved number from within the inmate's account until such blockingof the number is removed. Removal of the blocked number requires BOPadministrative staff access the inmate's account and change theappropriate field via the Graphical User Interface.

Stop All Digits (SAD)

Because of the unique digital implementation of the FacilitiesManagement Unit, which includes digital signal processors located on themodular cards, the ITS-II is able to completely eliminate all DTMF toneswhich an inmate may attempt to dial. This feature is accomplished by theDSP on the Hex Analog Station Card via a digital signal processingfiltering algorithm.

Additional Interfaces

Because of the open architecture ST-BUS around which the FMU is designedand because of the ports available at the FMU, additional interfaces caneasily be added for many purposes.

One useful interface might be a fiber optic interface. A “Fiber OpticInterface Card” could be added to the system, which would connect thecalls on the fiber optic cable onto the ST-BUS in a manner similar tothat used in the T1/E1 Interface Card.

Another interface might be added to integrate a cellular or PCS scannerwithin the system, so as to determine (1) whether wireless telephonecalls are being made from within the facility and (2) whether the callsare permitted calls or non-permitted calls. Alternatively, the FMUarchitecture would support the addition of a modular card specificallydesigned to interface wireless calls to the FMU calling system.Naturally, these options would require the addition of supportingequipment, such as antennae, amplifiers, and perhaps even an interfaceto the local cellular network; however, cellular calls which are notpermitted by the institutional authorities might be reduced oreliminated in this way.

Section D. Suggested Equipment for use With the Present Invention

D.0 Disclaimer

While the equipment of the preferred embodiment of the invention is heredescribed, such embodiment is merely exemplary and is not intended to belimiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration of all aspects of theinvention. The scope of the invention, therefore, shall be definedsolely by the claims below.

D.1 General Description of Equipment

The ITS-II is configured to provide system-wide simultaneous inmatetelephone and administrative services in real time operation to allcorrectional facilities indicated by the BOP. The ITS-II system has beencarefully designed. The equipment and configurations at the CentralOperations Facilities and at the individual site locations provide awell planned and integrated series of subsystems that will work togetherin a unified manner to provide the most optimum system performance andreliability that will support the Bureau's technical and performancerequirements.

The Central Operations Facilities:

The system incorporates two geographically-dispersed Central OperationsFacilities which together contain the system's database management,mail, and network management servers for all 100+ correctionsfacilities. The two database management servers are connected to thecorrection facilities via the Bureau's WAN. The Primary CentralOperations Facility also contains the mail server and one of the twonetwork management servers. The combination of the two CentralOperations Facilities provide fault-tolerant overall system operationfor the central inmate account information and the call record database.A network management server at each of these locations providesfault-tolerant operation for the network management system.

Located at each of two Central Operations Facilities and central tooperation of the entire ITS-II system, is an arrangement of fiveservers. Two of the servers maintain their own copy of system-wideinmate information and call records database and operate simultaneously.The database server at the Primary Central Operations Facility functionsas the primary server while the database server at the backup CentralOperations Facility functions as the backup server. Replication softwareautomatically maintains a copy of data at the two server locations. Thetwo servers are in continuous operation, each server maintaining acurrent version of the entire inmate and call record database as abackup to the other. In the event that either of the servers fail, theremaining server will continue full database management operation forthe ITS-II system-wide until service to the other server is restored.

These servers are manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation and havebeen carefully evaluated for long-term sustainable performance andscaleability to accommodate system expansion. Each server has a highlevel of redundancy incorporated into its design. Each server willmaintain its own copy of the up-to-the-minute centralized system-wideinmate database and call records. The database for each server has aminimum storage of one year's inmate information and call records, andwill be stored on a Redundant Array of Independent Disks. RAID storagetechnology is typically used where critical data (e.g., financial,banking, etc.) must be securely maintained and be retrievable in theevent of a disk failure.

Additional database protection is provided by large-scale backup tapesfor each server. The database management server at the PCOF has twolarge-capacity Digital Linear Tape drives, one to perform databasebackups, and the other to archive 7 years of data for immediate on-lineaccess. The ALPHA server at the backup location also has a DigitalLinear Tape drive to archive continuous daily/weekly backups.

To ensure high throughput in system performance, particularly for speedin query and report generation, both servers have been configured forsufficient I/O capacity to handle the level of transactions and demandsimposed by the entire ITS-II.

A third server provides e-mail service and operates independently of thecall processing hardware and software of the ITS-II. Its purpose is toprovide the Bureau with an efficient means of inter- and intra-site,on-line, workstation-to-workstation communication. While the server islocated at the Primary Central Operations Facility, the e-mail networklinks all correctional facilities, the MSTC, and the Bureau's CentralOffice in Washington. The capacity of the mail system will be sized tothe projected number of BOP user accounts.

A fourth and fifth server provide network management capability; one islocated at each of the two Central Operations Facilities. The networkmanagement system is responsible for monitoring the operational aspectsof each node on the network and its associated components. Informationconcerning network performance is monitored at both the PrimaryOperations Facility and at the maintenance support center so thatproblems associated with the network can be rapidly identified andremedied by the technical support organization. The Bureau has access tonetwork status data via the PC workstations.

While the servers are protected by surge and UPS protection, a backupgenerator will be provided at the PCOF to power all of the ITS-IIequipment at this site in the event of a utility power failure to thefacility. In the event of such a failure, the UPS will providesufficient power duration until the generator's transfer switch canautomatically start the generator. Once in operation, the generator canessentially provide continued power until the utility service isrestored to the facility.

Each Correctional Facility:

Each correctional facility will be connected to the system's datanetwork via the WAN, while voice communications will be provided at eachfacility by T-1 connections to the FTS as well as to the local telephoneservice provider's network and LEC service. The ITS-II architecture hasbeen designed to be fault tolerant for all critical points of operation.Fault tolerant here is defined to mean that in the event of a server ornetwork failure, the ITS-II will continue system operation withoutinterruption or significant degradation in performance.

Each BOP correctional facility will be equipped with one or moreFacility Management Units (FMUs) which serve as the site-based callprocessing controller and local inmate information storage manager. Inaddition to providing call processing, FMUs provide multiple T-1interfaces to the WAN, FTS and local telephone service provider'snetwork, and local service lines (an alternate method can be provided byan external CSU/DSU;) local call control, data storage, local audiorecording and monitoring capability, an interface through theintelligent hub to the administrative and FPPOS workstations, to AIMS,the remote audio monitoring stations, and to the inmate phones. The FMUshave been designed to be fault resistant, and incorporate redundantcomponents which will automatically be switched into service in theevent of a primary component failure. FMUs store a minimum of 30 days ofcall data records for rapid access and retrieval by site Bureaupersonnel in the event of a problem with the WAN or central servers.Each FMU has its own battery UPS incorporated into its design.

In addition to the FMU, each site has the requisite number of inmatetelephones, a backup modem, administrative workstations and printers, adot matrix printer, audio monitoring equipment, line surge protection,and an intelligent hub. An intelligent hub that provides full SimpleNetwork Management Protocol (SNMP) was selected to enable viewing andmanaging hub-level and port-level security level features, intruderprevention, auto port disabling, network management alarm, eavesdropprotection, assigned port access, and password protection. Theintelligent hub is fully compatible with the Hewlett-Packard: OPENVIEWnetwork management and monitoring platform.

At the Bureau's Central Office:

The Bureau's central office will be equipped with an ITS-II system thatwill allow Bureau personnel to operate the ITS as they would at any oneof the correctional facilities. Equipment will consist of inmatetelephones, administrative workstations, an FMU, e-mail, systemsoftware, silent monitoring station, printer, and interface withindividual BOP correctional facilities. While the ITS-II will beprovided with workstations, it will also interface with the Bureau'sexisting PCS running on a Microsoft Windows environment. The CentralOffice equipment will also be able to exchange data with the Bureau'sFPPOS and AIMS systems.

At the MSTC:

The MSTC will be equipped with a full ITS-II system capability that willallow Bureau personnel to operate the ITS as they would at any one ofthe correctional facilities for the purpose of instructing ITS trainees.Equipment will consist of inmate telephones, an FMU, system software,silent monitoring stations, printers, and interface with individual BOPcorrectional facilities. Trainees will be able to utilize allworkstations simultaneously.

D.2 Hardware

The following equipment constitutes suggested components of the ITS-IIfor both of the Central Operations Facilities, each correctionalfacility, the network interfaces, and the training center.

Equipment at the Central Operations Facilities:

Database Management Servers

Primary Interface: The database management server at each of the twoCentral Operations Facilities will communicate with each other through arouter over a T-1 facility. Servers will communicate with eachcorrectional facility via the WAN's 56 kb lines. Emergency backup willbe via modem pool.Manufacturer: Digital Equipment CorporationModel Number: 8200Processors: 4–440 MHz CPURAM: 1616Operating System: Digital UNIXDisk Storage Capacity: In excess of 1-yr on-line storage capacity using300 usable Gigabytes per server with RAID architecture.Digital Linear Tape DrivesDLT tape drives provide large-scale data storage to the databasemanagement servers.Manufacturer: Digital Equipment CorporationModel Number: TL812 (A trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation)Storage Capacity: 1.94 TerabytesNetwork Manager ServerInterface: The Network Management Servers interface with the facilityrouter to the all nodes on the WAN, through the WAN to the FMUs,intelligent hubs, and each component at each facility. Monitoringstations will be at the Bureau's Central Office facility in Washington,and at the BOP technical support facilities.Manufacturer: Hewlett-PackardModel Number: HP 9000-D270 (A trademark of Hewlett-Packard)Processors: single CPU, 64-bit.Operating System: HP-UNIX (A trademark of Hewlett-Packard)Network Management Software: HP OPENVIEWRAM: 128 MB with Error Correcting CodeDisk Storage Capacity: 4 GigabytesMail ServerInterface: Connectivity through the Network Management server and systemand router at the Primary Central Operations Facility to eachcorrectional facility, to the Bureau's Central Office in Washington, andto the MSTC.Manufacturer: Digital Equipment CorporationModel Number: ALPHA Server 1000RAM: 128 MBOperating System: Digital UNIXE-mail System: SendmailProcessors: 1–21164, 300 MHz CPUDisk Storage Capacity: 16 GigabytesRouterInterface: Routers connect the two database management servers to eachother and to the WAN, and through the WAN to each respectivecorrectional facility.Manufacturer: CiscoModel Number: 7500 (A trademark of Cisco)System Processor Type: 100 MHz R4600Memory: RSPI; 16 MB, expandable to 128 MBSystem Bandwidth: 1.066 GbpsModem PoolInterface: In the event that the WAN should fail, the modem pool servesas the backup line of communication between the equipment at both of theCentral Operations Facilities, between the Central Operations Facilitiesand the individual correctional facilities, to the LIDB service, theBureau's Central Office, and the MSTC.Manufacturer: US RoboticsModel Number: MP/16-I (A trademark of US Robotics)Size: 12.6″×17.5″ 3.5″Equipment at Each Correctional FacilityFacility Management Unit (FMU)Interfaces: Through multiple T-1 connections and its built-in routercapability, the FMU interfaces to the WAN and FTS and local servicelines; through the WAN to the network monitoring server; through anintelligent hub to the administrative and FPPOS workstations, andthrough a local network to the AIMS and the audio monitoring stations;and through central-office quality station cards to the inmate phones.Manufacturer: InternalModel Number: 6500Telephone line capacity: configurable up to 96 linesCentral Office Interface:

T-1

Analog (loop start, ground start)

-   Performance: 96 lines, simultaneous operation, 100% non-blocking-   Database connectivity to central servers: 56 KB or frame relay    Alert Call Recording: call recorded/retained for 24 hours    Station Cards: 6 phones per card to a maximum of 96 phones    Station Card Type: Central Office quality    Reliability:    -   dual power supplies    -   dual CPUs    -   dual hard disks    -   gas/carbon-based lightning protection for T-1 and analog        interfaces        Maintenance:    -   supports remote diagnostics    -   environmental monitoring with automatic alarm reporting to        technical support center    -   boards are hot-swappable    -   LED fault indicators for specific components-   Expansion: Connection to additional FMU as required to accommodate    site size    Integral UPS: 2-hour rated, self-contained with FMU in rack    Intelligent Hub    Interface: Intelligent hub connecting the administrative    workstations/printers and FPPOS workstation to the site FMU.    Provides hub-level and port-level security features such as intruder    prevention, audio port disabling, network management alarm,    eavesdropping protection, assigned port access, and password    protection.    Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard    Model Number: J2611B AdvanceStack 10-Base-T Hub-8U/16U SNMP    Communication: IEEE 802.3 Type 10Base-T    Capacity: 16 ports    PC Workstations    Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard    Model Number: HP D3991N Vectra XA (a trademark of Hewlett-Packard),    desktop    Operating System: Microsoft Windows    Specifications:

Processor: 166 MHZ Pentium

RAM: 32 MB

Disk Storage: 2.5 Gigabytes

Removable Media: 3.5″ floppy and CD-ROM

Audio: Sound card and headphones

Local Network Interface: 10/100 Base-T

Interaction: Extended keyboard and mouse

Monitor: 15″ color

Notebook PC

Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard

Model Number: HP 2000 (A trademark of Hewlett-Packard)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows

Processor: 133 Mhz Pentium

RAM: 16 Mbytes

Disk Storage: 1.86 Gigabytes

Removable Media: CD-ROM

Audio: Sound card and headphones

Power: DC Battery, power cord and adapter

Surge Protector and UPS-Workstations

Manufacturer: American Power Conversion

Model Number: Pro 650 (a trademark of American Power Conversion)

Technical Characteristics:

Capacity: 650VA

Input Voltage window: 88 Vac, 148 Vac

Transfer time: 2 ms (typical), 4 ms (maximum)

Surge response time: 0 nanoseconds (instant)

Battery backup: 30 minutes (min.)

Surge Protector—Laptop Monitoring Stations

Manufacturer: American Power Conversation

Model Number: Pro 7 (a trademark of American Power Conversion)

Technical Characteristics:

IEEE Let-through voltage: <85V

Normal Line voltage: 120 Vac, 50–60 Hz

Max line current: 15 Amps, continuous

Modem, Site Backup

Interface: In the event that the WAN should fail, this modem works inconjunction with the modem pool at the COFs over either the FTS or othertelephone service provider's lines to provide backup to the FMU.

Manufacturer: US Robotics

Model Number: Desktop

Modem, Short Haul

Interface: Extends the range of the monitoring equipment from the FMU.

Manufacturer: South Hills Datacomm

Mounting: rack-mounted

Format: synchronous

Backup Generator for the Central Operations Facility

Automatic cut over via transfer switch

Manufacturer: Kohler Power Systems

Model Number: Series 40ROZP (a trademark of Kohler Power Systems)

Voltage: 120/208, 3 Phase, 60 Hz

Standby Amps: 139

Standby kW/kVA: 40/50

Prime kW/kVA: 36/45

Printer—Administrative

Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard

Model Number: LaserJet 6Pse (a trademark of Hewlett-Packard)

Processor: 24-MHz Intel RISC

Memory: 2 Mbytes

Ports: two fast ECP IEEE 1284-compliant parallel ports

Printer—Dot Matrix

Manufacturer: Okidata

Model Number: ML320 (a trademark of Okidata)

Interface: IEEE 1284 bi-directional parallel, Windows plug/playcompatible

RAM: 64 K

Inmate Telephones

Manufacturer: Quadrum Telecommunications Inc

Model Number: 6Q2

Transmit/Receive Response at Normal Volume: meets EIA-470

Operating Loop Current Range: 20 mA and 80 mA

D.3 SOFTWARE

Central Database Software

Resides at both Central Operations Facilities on Database ManagementServers 1 and 2

Product Description: Relational Database Management Software

Function: full-featured professional database, contains and managesinmate information, call records, and account balances

Manufacturer: ORACLE

Application Software

Resides in the Facility Management Unit

Product Description: system control software

Function: provides call control and interactive voice response

Manufacturer: Internal

Linux Operating System Software

Resides on the CPU board in the FMU

Product Description: Linux (a trademark of Red Hat)

Function: UNIX operating system for the FMU

Manufacturer: Red Hat

Speaker Verification Software

Resides in the Facility Management Unit

Product Description: Biometric personnel verification

Function: Matches processed speech parameters of inmate to stored voicestatistics for a PIN assignment to confirm system access

Manufacturer: Verivoice

Workstation Operating System

Resides on each PC workstation

Product Description: Microsoft Windows '95 or NT (trademarks ofMicrosoft Corp.)

Function: controls operation of the hardware platform

Manufacturer: Microsoft

Network Management Software

Resides at both Central Operations Facilities on Network

Management Servers 5 and 6 and their workstations

Product Description: OPENVIEW Network Management System

Function: provides the ability to monitor network performance, preemptnetwork disruption and anticipate network realignment through anintuitive graphical interface, continuously monitors network status anddisplays real time information critical to effective network management,collects and forwards alarms, events, device discovery and errorinformation to the OPENVIEW Network Manager for processing.Manufacturer: Hewlett-PackardMail System SoftwareResides at the primary Central Operations Facility on the mail server(Server 4)Product Description: SendmailFunction: for use by BOP personnel; provides e-mail messagingcapabilities between all Bureau facilities, the Central Office, and theMSTC.Manufacturer: associated product of Digital UNIXMail Client SoftwareResides on all workstations that will use the e-mail system(administrative workstations, etc.)Product Description: Zmail Pro (a trademark of Netmanage)Function: Provides a method for users to send and receive e-mailmessages, allows local manipulation of remotely located mail box data,allows message access and management from more than one computer, andhas full IMAP4.X support.Manufacturer: NetmanageQuery Generation Support SoftwareResides at both Central Operations Facilities on Database ManagementServers 1 and 2, and on each PC workstationFunction: provides database query generation using “drag & drop”technique on a Windows interface. No knowledge of SQL is required tomake database queries.Product Description: Discoverer (A trademark of Oracle)Manufacturer: ORACLEReport Generation SoftwareResides at both Central Operations Facilities on Database ManagementServers 1 and 2, and on each PC workstationFunction: provides database query and report generation using the “drag& drop” technique on a Windows interface. No knowledge of SQL isrequired to generate database queries or reports.Product Description: I/Q Objects (a trademark of I Q Software)Manufacturer: I Q SoftwareGraphical User Interface SoftwareResides on each PC workstationFunction: provides users with an easy-to-use click and point interfaceto the ITS-IIManufacturer: Internal

1. A method, provided by an institutional telephone system, of managingtelephone activity between a calling party and a called party, whereinthe calling party is an institutional party and the called party is anon-institutional party, the method comprising: providing an account forthe calling party, wherein the account comprises calling partyentitlements, at least some entitlements based on the calling party'sclass; creating an institutional communication connection with aninstitutional terminal following initiation by the calling party,wherein the institutional communication connection comprises an externalcommunication request from the calling party, the communication requestsufficient to establish communication between the calling party and thecalled party; identifying the calling party; analyzing the externalcommunication request received from the calling party to determine itscalled party parameters; comparing the called party parameters to thecalling party entitlements to determine whether the calling party isentitled to communicate with the called party and denying the externalcommunication request if the comparing returns a negative result;determining whether the account is active and denying the externalcommunication request if the determining returns a negative result;placing the calling party on hold; establishing communication with thecalled party; calculating a rate to charge the called party for thecommunication; announcing the rate to the called party; prompting thecalled party for acceptance or refusal of the rate; receiving a responsefrom the called party; and establishing communication between thecalling party and the called party based on the response.
 2. A method,provided by an institutional telephone system, of managing telephoneactivity between a calling party and a called party, wherein the callingparty is an institutional party and the called party is anon-institutional party, the method comprising: providing an account forthe calling party, wherein the account comprises calling partyentitlements, at least some entitlements based on the calling party'sclass; creating an institutional communication connection with aninstitutional terminal following initiation by the calling party,wherein the institutional communication connection comprises an externalcommunication request from the calling party, the communication requestsufficient to establish communication between the calling party and thecalled party; identifying the calling part; analyzing the externalcommunication request received from the calling party to determine itscalled party parameters; comparing the called party parameters to thecalling party entitlements to determine whether the calling party isentitled to communicate with the called party and denying the externalcommunication request if the comparing returns a negative result;establishing the communication based on the comparing; determiningwhether the account is active and denying the external communicationrequest if the determining returns a negative result: placing thecalling party on hold; initiating the connection with the called party;detecting completion of the connection; providing identification of thecalling party to the called party; prompting the called party foracceptance or refusal of communication with the calling party; andreceiving a response from the called party to the prompting, wherein theresponse determines whether the calling party and the called party areconnected.
 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the comparingcomprises: identifying the institutional terminal; and determiningwhether the calling party is entitled to use the institutional terminal,wherein the communication is denied if the determining returns anegative result.
 4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the methodfurther comprises providing the called party with an option to prohibitany future calls from the calling party.
 5. A method according to claim2, wherein the method further comprises providing the called party withan option to prohibit future calls from a location of the calling party.6. A method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprisesreplaying a call origination message to the called party.
 7. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the account contains data representativeof telephone numbers.
 8. A method according to claim 2, wherein theaccount contains data representative of personal identities.
 9. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the account contains data indicatingwhether to record a communication from the calling party.
 10. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the account contains data indicatingwhether to record a communication to the called party.
 11. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the account contains data indicatingwhether to monitor a communication from the calling party.
 12. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the account contains data indicatingwhether to monitor the institutional terminal.
 13. A method according toclaim 2, wherein the account contains data indicating whether to monitora communication to predetermined telephone numbers.
 14. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the account contains data indicatingwhether to monitor a communication to the called party.
 15. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the account contains data indicating acalled party to whom communications should be not recorded.
 16. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises providingadministrative control to initiate recording of the communication.
 17. Amethod according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprisesproviding administrative control to initiate administrative monitoringof the communication.
 18. A method according to claim 2, wherein themethod further comprises providing administrative control to terminatethe communication.
 19. A method according to claim 2, wherein the methodfurther comprises monitoring the communication for a fraud detectionevent.
 20. A method according to claim 2, wherein the method furthercomprises storing, in the account, data representative of thecommunication.
 21. A method according to claim 2, wherein the methodfurther comprises storing a keyword in the account.
 22. A methodaccording to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises monitoringthe communication for the keyword.
 23. A method according to claim 2,wherein the identifying comprises biometric voice verification, andwherein the biometric voice verification occurs continuously during thecommunication.
 24. A method, provided by an institutional telephonesystem, of managing telephone activity between a calling party and acalled party, wherein the calling party is an institutional party andthe called party is a non-institutional party, the method comprising:providing an account for the calling party, wherein the accountcomprises calling party entitlements, at least some entitlements basedon the calling party's class; creating an institutional communicationconnection with an institutional terminal following initiation by thecalling party, wherein the institutional communication connectioncomprises an external communication request from the calling party, thecommunication request sufficient to establish communication between thecalling party and the called party; identifying the calling party;analyzing the external communication request received from the callingparty to determine its called party parameters; comparing the calledparty parameters to the calling party entitlements to determine whetherthe calling party is entitled to communicate with the called party anddenying the external communication request if the comparing returns anegative result; determining whether the account is active and denyingthe external communication request if the determining returns a negativeresult; digitizing a first sample of the calling party; storing thefirst sample; digitizing a second sample of the calling party from thecommunication; storing the second sample; and comparing the first sampleto the second sample for verifying identification of the calling party.25. A method, provided by an institutional telephone system, of managingtelephone activity between a calling party and a called party, whereinthe calling party is an institutional party and the called party is anon-institutional party, the method comprising: providing an account forthe calling party wherein the account comprises calling partyentitlements, at least some entitlements based on the calling party'sclass; creating an institutional communication connection with aninstitutional terminal following initiation by the calling party,wherein the institutional communication connection comprises an externalcommunication request from the calling party, the communication requestsufficient to establish communication between the calling party and thecalled party; identifying the calling party; analyzing the externalcommunication request received from the calling party to determine itscalled party parameters; comparing the called party parameters to thecalling party entitlements to determine whether the calling party isentitled to communicate with the called party and denying the externalcommunication request if the comparing returns a negative result;determining whether the account is active and denying the externalcommunication request if the determining returns a negative result;digitizing a first sample of the called party; storing the first sample;identifying the called party; digitizing a second sample of the calledparty from the communication; storing the second sample; and comparingthe first sample to the second sample second sample for verifyingidentification of the called party.
 26. A method, provided by aninstitutional telephone system, of managing telephone activity between acalling party and a called party, wherein the calling party is aninstitutional party and the called party is a non-institutional party,the method comprising: providing an account for the calling party,wherein the account comprises calling party entitlements, at least someentitlements based on the calling party's class; creating aninstitutional communication connection with an institutional terminalfollowing initiation by the calling party, wherein the institutionalcommunication connection comprises an external communication requestfrom the calling party the communication request sufficient to establishcommunication between the calling party and the called party;identifying the calling party; analyzing the external communicationrequest received from the calling party to determine its called partyparameters; comparing the called party parameters to the calling partyentitlements to determine whether the calling party is entitled tocommunicate with the called party and denying the external communicationrequest if the comparing returns a negative result; determining whetherthe account is active and denying the external communication request ifthe determining returns a negative result; identifying the called party;digitizing a first sample of the calling party; storing the firstsample; digitizing a second sample of the called party; storing thesecond sample; digitizing a third sample of the communication; storingthe third sample; and comparing the first sample and the second sampleto the third sample.
 27. A method according to claim 26, wherein thecomparing detects an unauthorized party to the communication.
 28. Amethod, provided by an institutional telephone system, of managingtelephone activity, between a calling party and a called party, whereinthe calling party is an institutional party and the called party is anon-institutional party the method comprising providing a plurality ofinstitutional terminals, a plurality of telephone lines, anadministrative database, and an administrative interface, wherein thedatabase comprises an individual account for each calling party andwherein each account provides individual entitlements to the callingparty; placing a communication request to the called party from one ofthe institutional terminals by the calling party, wherein the placingcomprises entering numeric data into one of the institutional terminals:accepting the communication request; identifying the calling party;analyzing the communication request to determine parameters; comparingthe parameters with entitlements; conditionally establishingcommunication between the called party and the calling party; providinga digital recording buffer and a digital mass storage device; monitoringthe system for active calls; and recording the active calls in thebuffer.
 29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the recording iscontinuous.
 30. A method according to claim 28, wherein the methodfurther comprises: monitoring an active call for a fraud detectionevent; storing the buffer contents in the mass storage device if themonitoring returns a positive result; and recording the remainder of theactive call in the mass storage device if the monitoring returns apositive result.
 31. A system for managing institutional telephoneactivity between a calling party and a called party, wherein a callingparty is an institutional party and a called party is anon-institutional party, comprising: an interface component confirmed toaccept an external communication request from a calling party, thecommunication request having at least one called party parameter, andthe communication request sufficient to establish communication betweenthe calling party and the called party; a database storing a pluralityof accounts associated with calling parties, each account storingpermissible calling party parameters for each calling party, wherein atleast some calling party parameters are based on the calling party'sclass; and a screening component in communication with the interfacecomponent and the database, configured to read each externalcommunication request, query the database for the permissible callingparty parameters associated with the calling party and determine whetherat least one called party parameter is a permissible calling partyparameter and configured to determine whether the calling party has anactive account, the screening component denying the calling party'sexternal communication request if the active account determinationreturns a negative result, wherein one of the permissible calling partyparameters is a telephone number and wherein the account includes asuspicious word associated with the calling party and the screeningcomponent is further configured to scan a digital sample for asuspicious word; a communications component, in communication with thescreening, component, and configured to process the communicationsrequest following determination by the screening component that thecommunication request contains permissible parameters; and a digitalconversion component configured to receive a voice sample from thecalling party and convert the voice sample to a digital format, whereinsample in a buffer.
 32. The system of claim 31, wherein one of thepermissible parameters is a telephone number.
 33. The system of claim31, wherein the screening component is further configured to performbiometric voice identification on the sample generated by the digitalconversion component and further configured to confirm an identity ofthe calling party based upon the results of the biometric voiceidentification.
 34. The system of claim 31, wherein the database storesthe digital sample in a file associated with the caller account.